Party leader: Afghanistan awaits Turkey’s support

By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

Afghanistan is looking forward to Turkey’s support to the development of Afghanistan, a member of the transition committee and the leader of the Hezb-e-Islami party, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, has told Turkey's Yeni Shafak newspaper.

Hekmatyar expressed his positive expectations about the future relations between Turkey and Afghanistan’s new administration. He said that Turkey should play an active role in Afghanistan in the upcoming period.

“The people of Afghanistan always want Turkey's support for our country's development and free standing,” he added.

Hekmatyar stressed that the new government would be better and safer than the previous ones. In his opinion, everyone, both men and women in Afghanistan, would be satisfied with the new administration.

The Hezb-e-Islami party leader stressed that the talks between the Taliban and other political parties that had been postponed due to the foreign troops' withdrawal would soon start.

Commenting on France's proposal to create a safe zone in Kabul, he noted that France did not want to see Afghanistan as a peaceful place. Moreover, he accused France of providing support to the PKK in Afghanistan’s Panjshir region, calling it the enemy of Turkey, Afghanistan and the Islamic world.

“The people of Panjshir do not want war; they say that those who want war do not represent them. France used to send agents there and create conflict, still continues to do so,” Hekmatyar said.

Commenting on the mass emigration of Afghans, he dismissed this as a solution to problems. He urged people to stay and take responsibility for the country's future development.

As for women’s rights, Hekmatyar said that the Islamic system had always valued and protected women and they would also be represented in the new government.