Erdogan met with Sharif in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, where the Pakistani Prime Minister arrived to participate in the events commemorating the fifth anniversary of the end of hostilities in Karabakh. During the talks, the two sides discussed the development of bilateral relations, as well as regional and global issues.
The Turkish president noted that “Ankara is closely monitoring the terrorist attacks in Pakistan and the tensions in its relations with Afghanistan.” He emphasized the importance of maintaining the ceasefire between the two countries and expressed hope that the negotiations, mediated by Turkey, will lead to lasting stability. He announced his country’s intention to continue contributing to this process, according to the Turkish president’s office.
The tension between Pakistan and Afghanistan escalated after the Pakistani Air Force launched airstrikes on an area in Kabul in late October. The Afghan Ministry of Defense declared that “the Pakistani forces will bear the consequences of these raids.”
Fighting began along the Durand Line (the border between the two countries), which Kabul does not recognize, on the night of October 15, when the Pakistani army attacked sites inside Afghanistan in response to an attack on its checkpoints in the Kurram area of the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Later, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry announced an agreement with Afghanistan for a temporary ceasefire.
