Türkiye’s intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin traveled to Pakistan after his planned meeting with Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada did not take place, amid efforts to ease tensions between Islamabad and Kabul.
A planned meeting between Türkiye’s intelligence chief, Ibrahim Kalin, and Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada was reportedly canceled at the last minute during Kalin’s recent visit to Afghanistan, raising questions about the Taliban leadership’s approach to regional diplomacy.
According to reports citing sources familiar with the visit, Akhundzada declined to meet Kalin, who instead held talks with Taliban officials in Kabul and Kandahar before traveling to Pakistan.
Afghan journalist Sami Yousafzai has reported that the Taliban leadership treated the Turkish delegation inappropriately despite Türkiye’s longstanding engagement with the group.
A report by Amu TV also said the planned meeting between Kalin and Akhundzada was canceled at the last minute. However, the reported characterization of Kalin as “Western” and the circumstances surrounding the cancellation could not be independently verified.
Kalin, who heads Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization, met several senior Taliban officials during his visit, including acting Defense Minister Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid, acting Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, and intelligence chief Abdul Haq Wasiq.
The discussions reportedly focused on bilateral relations, security cooperation, regional stability, and tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Kalin subsequently traveled to Islamabad, where he met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Inter-Services Intelligence chief Asim Malik.
The visit came amid renewed efforts by Türkiye and Qatar to facilitate dialogue between Pakistan and the Taliban administration over persistent security disputes.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Taliban of allowing terrorist groups, particularly the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), to operate from Afghan territory and launch attacks inside Pakistan. The Taliban authorities have rejected the allegations.
The reported cancellation of the meeting with Akhundzada has also drawn attention to the Taliban leadership’s centralized decision-making structure and the challenges faced by foreign officials seeking direct engagement with the group’s supreme leader.
Neither the Taliban authorities nor Türkiye has publicly confirmed the reported remarks about Kalin or provided a detailed explanation for the failure of the planned meeting.
