Turkey's Fidan mediates Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions in phone diplomacy blitz

2026-02-27 - 12:22

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan launched a diplomatic initiative Friday, holding phone calls with his counterparts from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia to address escalating armed clashes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. The outreach aims to de-escalate tensions after Thursday's cross-border attacks left dozens of soldiers and civilians dead. Crisis Background Afghanistan launched border attacks Thursday in retaliation for Pakistan Air Force airstrikes inside Afghanistan on Sunday, which Islamabad claims killed 70 "terrorists" but Afghan officials and the UN say resulted in civilian casualties—claims Pakistan denies. The latest violence marks a significant escalation in deteriorating relations, with Islamabad accusing militants of operating from Afghan territory, allegations Kabul consistently rejects. Turkish Mediation Efforts According to Turkish diplomatic sources, Fidan spoke with Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan to defuse the situation. The discussions focused on the latest clashes and ways to prevent further escalation. Mediation Track Record Türkiye and Qatar have previously played successful mediating roles between the two neighbors. In October 2024, following similar cross-border violence, meetings were held in Istanbul with the attendance of Türkiye, Qatar, Afghanistan, and Pakistan to strengthen a ceasefire agreed in Doha under Turkish and Qatari mediation. Fidan's latest diplomatic push builds on this established mediation framework as Ankara continues to position itself as a key crisis manager in regional conflicts, leveraging its relationships with all parties to promote stability in South Asia.