Türkiye and Afghanistan Pledge Stronger Ties in Ankara Meeting

Turkish Parliament Speaker Bülent Arınç met with Afghan Foreign Minister Rangin Dadfar Spanta and his delegation in Ankara in October 2006, with both sides expressing a desire to deepen bilateral relations.

Arınç acknowledged Afghan support for Türkiye dating back to the War of Independence and praised Afghanistan's progress in democratization and economic development. He noted that Turkish experts had contributed to modernizing Afghan institutions and expressed hope that Turkish contractors' investments would help expand cooperation in education and culture.

Spanta described the relationship as one with deep historical roots, saying the two countries' ties "may be an example for the region and for the world." He also recognized the role of the Turkish military in supporting peace efforts in Afghanistan.

Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in October 2006, in its own words.