Putin, Erdogan agree to strengthen coordination on Afghan issues -Kremlin

Moscow (Reuters) – Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Turkey’s Tayyip Erdogan discussed the situation in Afghanistan during a phone call and agreed to strengthen bilateral coordination on Afghan issues, the Kremlin said in a statement on Saturday.

The presidents emphasised the priorities were counter-terrorism and tackling drug trafficking, the Kremlin said.

Taliban militants seized control of Kabul last weekend, sending thousands of civilians and Afghan military allies fleeing for safety.

President Erdogan voiced hopes for a soft transition in the country and said that it was important that the Taliban not repeat previous mistakes and to keep their promises with an ethnically inclusive approach.

“The new government to be formed in Afghanistan should be inclusive and representative of the diversity of the Afghan people,” Erdogan told Putin according to a readout following the call.

On Wednesday, Erdogan said Turkey still aims to maintain security at Kabul airport, after Taliban fighters took control of Afghanistan’s capital.