President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey has emphasized the need to preserve the fragile ceasefire between the Taliban and Pakistan, as border tensions and stalled diplomacy threaten to destabilize the region.
According to a statement from Turkey’s Communications Directorate, Erdogan made the remarks during a meeting on Saturday with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Baku, Azerbaijan, where both leaders were attending ceremonies for Azerbaijan’s Victory Day.
Erdogan said he was “closely following the terrorist attacks in Pakistan and the tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan,” and expressed hope that ongoing talks—mediated by Turkey and Qatar—would lead to sustained peace and stability between the two neighboring countries. He affirmed Turkey’s continued commitment to supporting the dialogue process.
His comments come as the third round of negotiations between senior Taliban and Pakistani delegations concluded last week in Istanbul without a breakthrough. The discussions, which began earlier this month, were aimed at reducing cross-border violence and addressing Islamabad’s concerns over the presence of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on Afghan soil.
The negotiations have followed a series of armed clashes at the Spin Boldak-Chaman border crossing, which left several dead and disrupted trade and the repatriation of Afghan migrants. Both sides have traded accusations over who initiated the recent violence.
Pakistan has demanded that the Taliban take concrete steps to curb the TTP, which Islamabad blames for a series of deadly attacks on its soil. The Taliban, in turn, have denied harboring the group and accused Pakistan of violating the cease-fire agreement reached during previous rounds of talks in Doha and Istanbul.
Erdogan also noted that Turkey and Pakistan continue to deepen cooperation in areas such as trade, energy, and defense—a relationship Ankara is seeking to leverage as it positions itself as a key mediator in South and Central Asia.
The failure of the most recent talks has heightened fears of further escalation. In a televised interview, Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif warned that military options could be considered if diplomacy fails, saying, “If negotiations are unsuccessful, the situation may deteriorate further.”
Despite the current impasse, Turkey and Qatar have continued to press both sides to return to the negotiating table.
