Turkish Intelligence Chief Ibrahim Kalin and Qatari National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Hamad bin Khamis al-Kubaisi made simultaneous but separate visits to Afghanistan on Wednesday, where they discussed security cooperation, regional developments and tensions between Kabul and Islamabad with officials from the Taliban government.
Kalin’s talks with Taliban officials
In Kabul, Kalin met Taliban intelligence chief Mullah Abdul Haq Wasiq, Defense Minister Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid and Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani. Turkish sources said the talks covered bilateral relations, security and intelligence cooperation, as well as combating terrorism, human smuggling and drug trafficking. The officials also discussed developments in the war between the United States, Israel and Iran, according to the sources.
Taliban Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani said the situation in Iran was among the issues discussed, adding that its deterioration could affect countries in the region, particularly Afghanistan, Qatar and Turkey. Qani said the parties stressed the need for joint efforts to support regional security and stability, especially in combating terrorism and drug trafficking.
Turkish and Qatari delegations followed separate tracks
At the same time, al-Kubaisi held separate meetings with Taliban government officials, including the defense and interior ministers. The talks focused on relations between the two sides and issues of mutual interest. A Taliban official said the Turkish and Qatari officials’ visits were not joint and that the delegations had not coordinated their programs, despite being in Afghanistan at the same time.
He said each delegation had its own agenda and separate meetings. Kalin’s movements extended to Kandahar, the Taliban’s leadership stronghold and the base of its leader, Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada. Sources said he went to the Kherqa Sharif site, but the nature of his program and the meetings he held in the province remained unclear.
Afghan media quoted informed sources as saying that the Turkish and Qatari delegations visited Kandahar and met the provincial governor, Mullah Sherin Akhund, as well as figures close to the Taliban leader. The Taliban government did not officially confirm that these meetings took place or that either the Turkish or Qatari official met Mullah Hibatullah.
Qani said clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan were among the issues discussed at the meetings, noting that the parties had pledged to continue efforts to resolve the problem and improve relations between the two countries. Turkey and Qatar had previously mediated between Afghanistan and Pakistan after military confrontations and border clashes in October 2025.
