Istanbul English news | Istanbul, Latest News & Live Updates in English | English News (Latest English News) at Lokmattimes.com

Amid the final drawdown of US troops from Afghanistan, the Taliban has agreed to begin substantive talks with the Republic team in Doha in the coming days, which would end the peace process stalemate.According to Tolo News, the Taliban group plans to attend the Istanbul summit but wants the end negotiations to take place in Doha.The negotiating teams met in Doha on May 14 after a long pause. Sources familiar with the meeting said the Taliban has asked to maintain the Doha negotiations--with serious discussions-- but they want the final outcome to be achieved in Doha, not in Istanbul."I think that this will open the way for an Istanbul conference where the Taliban will attend. They might make the agenda based on who in the Afghan government team will attend, not based on the US agenda," said Sayed Akbar Agha, a former Taliban commander said to Tolo news.The Republic team said that efforts in Doha and Istanbul will help achieve results in the negotiations, but they stressed that the Taliban's commitment is key."A meeting will be meaningful when the attendees include decision-makers and when there is a commitment for decision making. Only participation of high-ranking leaders can affect the current Doha process," said Fawzia Koofi, member of the negotiating team of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.Meanwhile, a delegation representing the Taliban led by Shai Abdul Hakim Haqqani has been in Pakistan over the last 20 days discussing with the leadership of the group the details of attending the Istanbul summit and the withdrawal of international troops from Afghanistan."Pakistan's influence on the Taliban and the possible encouragement from Pakistan of course has an impact," said Mohammad Amin Waqad, former deputy head of the High Peace Council, as reported by Tolo news.President Ashraf Ghani has emphasised the need for a decision on peace by the regional players, and for Europe's much-needed role to "get Pakistan on board" on the ongoing peace talks with Taliban."Peace will primarily be decided upon regionally, and I believe we are at a crucial moment of rethinking. It is first and foremost a matter of getting Pakistan on board. The US now plays only a minor role. The question of peace or hostility is now in Pakistani hands," Ghani told the German news website, Der Spiegel, in an interview.Over Pakistan's influence on the Taliban, Ghani said, "Pakistan operates an organized system of support. The Taliban receive logistics there, their finances are there and recruitment is there.""The names of the various decision-making bodies of the Taliban are Quetta Shura, Miramshah Shura, and Peshawar Shura - named after the Pakistani cities where they are located. There is a deep relationship with the state," he added.The negotiations in Doha were stalled after the announcement of a delay in US forces withdrawal in Afghanistan from the original May 1st deadline.( With inputs from ANI )Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor

IstanbulFOLLOW

Istanbul, Latest News

Ankara, June 26 Turkish authorities have urged citizens aged between the ages of 18 and 30 to get ... ...

Beijing, June 25 The Turkish Grand Prix has rejoined the 2021 Formula One calendar and will replace the ... ...

Formula One on Friday announced that the Turkish Grand Prix will return to the calendar this season, with the race at Istanbul Park set to take place in early October. The Turkish Grand Prix will be staged on the weekend originally scheduled to host ...

The Obama-era State Department approved training in the United States for Saudi operatives who were involved in the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the New York Times reported citing documents and people familiar with the matter. ...

Ankara, June 17 More than 1.2 million Turkish citizens were vaccinated against Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, ... ...

Several Pakistani citizens were stranded at the Istanbul airport in Turkey following COVID-19 restrictions in place since yesterday. ...

The Pakistani Air Force (PAF) has agreed to cooperate with a "notorious" Turkish paramilitary group that has been accused by the United Nations of deploying fighters from Syrian armed groups to take part in military operations in Libya. ...

Amid the final drawdown of US troops from Afghanistan, the Taliban has agreed to begin substantive talks with the Republic team in Doha in the coming days, which would end the peace process stalemate. ...