Turkey, Pakistan, Afghanistan call on Taliban to commit to Afghan peace talks

ANKARA: Turkey, Pakistan and Afghanistan called on the Afghan Taliban to reaffirm its commitment to achieving a negotiated settlement for lasting peace in Afghanistan, the foreign ministers of the three countries said in a joint statement after talks on Friday.

A US-backed Afghan peace conference in Istanbul hosted by Turkey, Qatar and the United Nations scheduled for Saturday was postponed due to the Taliban`s non-participation. No new date has been set for those talks, but Ankara has said they would take place after the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

After talks in Istanbul, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Afghan Foreign Minister Hanif Atmar, and Pakistani Foreign Minister Shan Mahmood Qureshi said they 'deplored the continuing high level of violence in Afghanistan', adding they "emphasized the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire" to end the violence and "provide a conducive atmosphere for the peace talks".