The Taliban has dismissed a call by the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS) urging the formation of an inclusive government in Afghanistan, framing the matter as a strictly domestic issue.
In a statement issued Saturday, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said that while the group acknowledges the concerns of its citizens, “only Afghans can determine how to resolve their internal affairs.” He added that public wishes and suggestions “will be taken into consideration,” but offered no commitment to structural political reform.
The OTS, comprising Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, had on May 21 issued a sharply worded declaration from its Budapest summit, calling for Kabul to form a government reflective of Afghanistan’s ethnic diversity. The bloc also expressed alarm over the rise of terrorism and cross-border drug trafficking, warning of potential regional security fallout from the deteriorating situation inside Afghanistan.
The statement described Afghanistan’s Turkic minorities as a “unique bridge” to the wider Turkic world, calling their exclusion from governance deeply concerning.
Mujahid avoided addressing the question of inclusivity directly. Instead, he appealed for international economic support and reiterated the Taliban’s commitment to maintaining diplomatic and trade relations with Turkic-speaking countries. He also assured that Afghan territory would not be used to threaten any other state.
Since taking control in 2021, the Taliban has maintained an all-male administration composed exclusively of its own members, resisting international demands, from the United Nations, regional actors, and Western powers, for a government that represents Afghanistan’s multi-ethnic population.
Analysts say the Taliban’s continued refusal to embrace political pluralism not only risks further internal discontent but also threatens to isolate the regime from key regional players, including those that have so far sought constructive engagement.
