Turkey has withdrawn from its role as a mediator between Afghanistan and Pakistan, ending months of diplomatic efforts to ease rising tensions between the two neighbors after negotiations failed to produce any breakthrough, according to regional media reports, according to TOLOnews.
Indian media, citing a senior political and security source, reported that Ankara decided to step aside after concluding that continued mediation was no longer viable. Turkish officials, speaking privately, attributed the decision to what they described as Pakistan’s “unreasonable demands,” which had already been rejected by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan during earlier discussions.
The development marks a setback for Ankara’s regional diplomacy and comes just two months after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan publicly announced the dispatch of a high-level delegation to Islamabad to facilitate dialogue between Kabul and Islamabad. Turkey had positioned itself as a neutral intermediary, leveraging its ties with both sides in hopes of de-escalating a relationship long strained by border disputes, security concerns and mutual distrust.
Political analyst Yousuf Amin Zazai said Pakistan’s approach left little room for progress. “Pakistan’s dictatorial, oppressive and unfair stance toward Afghanistan has forced Turkey to step back from its mediation role,” he said. Zazai stressed that lasting stability can only emerge if relations are shaped by the will of people living on both sides of the Durand Line, the contested border dividing the two countries.
Turkey first offered to mediate in late October, as tensions intensified amid cross-border accusations and security incidents. Ankara went on to host three rounds of dialogue between Afghan and Pakistani representatives. Despite these efforts, the talks ended without any concrete agreements or confidence-building measures.
Umar Mokhtar Nikzad, a university professor and regional affairs expert, said Pakistan’s repeated claims that Afghan territory is being used against it have undermined prospects for dialogue. “Given Pakistan’s current rhetoric and approach, mediation and talks are unlikely to yield results,” he said.
Neither Kabul nor Islamabad has officially commented on Turkey’s withdrawal, but analysts say Ankara’s exit underscores the depth of mistrust between the two sides and the difficulty of resolving disputes through third-party mediation.
With Turkey stepping aside, no alternative mediator has yet emerged, raising concerns that tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan could further intensify in the absence of sustained diplomatic engagement.
