The Taliban’s Ministry of Public Health has called on Turkey to issue visas for patients requiring urgent medical treatment, the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
Noor Jallal Jalali, the Taliban minister of public health, raised the request during a meeting with Cenk Ünal, Turkey’s ambassador to Kabul, according to the statement.
The Turkish Embassy in Kabul has not commented on the meeting or the Taliban’s request.
Since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, the Turkish Embassy has significantly limited the issuance of visas to Afghan citizens, a decision that has drawn frustration from many Afghans.
Some Afghan citizens have complained that, despite meeting all the necessary requirements, their visa applications are frequently rejected.
“I have submitted all the documents they requested, but my visa was still denied,” said a Kabul resident, reflecting the broader challenges faced by applicants.
Earlier this year, Turkey suspended a reciprocal agreement with Afghanistan that allowed visa-free travel for holders of diplomatic passports.
On June 9, Turkish media, including the Daily Sabah, reported that the 2008 visa waiver agreement had been suspended effective June 1. The suspension was enacted through a presidential decree, citing the ongoing complexities in Afghanistan’s diplomatic landscape.
