Ankara takes center stage in Afghan peace process

KABUL, Afghanistan

Ankara has taken center stage in the Afghan peace process with the US proposal to hold a conference in Turkey bringing the warring factions to the negotiating table, analysts say.

The Afghan Foreign Ministry has shown the green light to the proposed meeting.

“Turkey is a strong partner and friend of Afghanistan, it had already expressed interest in hosting the Afghan peace talks which we appreciate," spokesman Gran Hewad told Anadolu Agency.

In a bid to accelerate the stalled peace process, a meeting between the Afghan government representatives and the Taliban would be arranged in Turkey, according to a letter leaked by an Afghan media outlet on Sunday.

The letter was sent by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

“We will ask the government of Turkey to host a senior-level meeting of both sides in the coming weeks to finalize a peace agreement. I [Blinken] urge you [Ghani] or your authoritative designates to join other representatives of the Islamic Republic [of Afghanistan] in this meeting,” the letter said.

Blinken said Washington has also intended to ask the UN to convene foreign ministers and envoys from Russia, China, Pakistan, Iran, India, and the US to discuss how to promote peace in Afghanistan.

Turkey 'potential partner'

Kabul-based political commentator Nizam Katawazi sees Turkey a potential partner of the war-ravaged country with the potential to provide a breakthrough in the stalled peace negotiations.

“Unlike many international and regional countries, Turkey has maintained a delicate balance in ties with Afghanistan throughout war and peace times. It is trustworthy for almost all factions as a honest peace broker and reliable host for such an important meeting,” Katawazi told Anadolu Agency.

Researcher and former deputy minister Timor Sharan said Ankara should tread this thorny peace process carefully.

“Without a clear policy, Ankara risks throwing itself in the ring without a plan, at the back of a half-backed US-Afghan peace plan,” said Sharan.

The Taliban's Qatar office spokesman Mohammad Naeem is yet to respond to a query from Anadolu Agency for a comment on the proposed meeting in Turkey.

In a policy brief published by the German non-government organization Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Sharan noted the last decades of conflict have seen a succession of regional initiatives conjured up by international powers, including 6+2 -- Afghanistan's neighbors plus the US and Russia -- and the Quadrilateral Coordination Group -- Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the US.

“While generating international interest and support statements for the Afghan peace, none of these initiatives has produced tangible action. An integrated regional mechanism to support the Afghan peace is still missing, which is particularly worrying given the state of US' relations with key regional players including Iran, India, Russia -- and not least Turkey itself."

The Turkey-led Heart of Asia Istanbul Process, launched in 2011, is the broadest-based initiative so far, which has brought together 17 regional countries, plus 15 supporting countries and international organizations, among them the EU.

New life

The stalled peace drive has gotten a new lease on life as Afghanistan and Turkey recently celebrated 100 years of diplomatic ties.

For the last two decades, Turkey has trained thousands of Afghan military and police officers. There are 21 Turkish schools and four education centers in eight provinces with more than 7,000 students.

Turkey is ready to take part in mediation efforts for peace in Afghanistan and the region, the country's ruling party spokesman said Tuesday.

"Afghanistan is a very important country for us," Omer Celik, spokesman for the Justice and Development (AK) Party, told reporters in the capital Ankara after a meeting of the party's Central Executive Board.

A number of Afghan media outlets have reported these proposed intra-Afghan talks would be held on March 27, however, there are no confirmations for the date.

"This is indeed a sign of great interest and support for the process, which we truly appreciate. But regarding the content and modalities, we will declare our position once we have completed our discussions and consultations", said Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesman Hewad.