Can Turkey-Afghan trade ties bloom despite lack of recognition for Taliban?

Though Ankara has not recognized the Taliban regime in Kabul, the prospects for Turkish-Afghan economic collaboration and an uptick in bilateral trade remain high. Turk-Afghan ties go back a long time and are firmly grounded in common ethnic and geopolitical interests.

With no country recognizing the Taliban as the lawful government of Afghanistan, the authorities are facing mounting challenges both in getting foreign investment into the country and in implementing infrastructure and major development projects.

In a meeting with Turkish investors in mid-February, Deputy Minister of Commerce and Industry Qudratullah Jamal stressed to attendees that “commerce and industry should not be sacrificed in politics,” adding that investment would strengthen bilateral trade relations.

According to the commerce ministry’s spokesman, Abdul Salam Jawad Akhundzada, the investors from Turkey showed avid interest in Afghanistan’s electricity infrastructure, airports, industrial parks and commercial townships.