Report claims Taliban supreme leader declined meeting with Turkish intelligence chief during Afghanistan visit

A reported diplomatic episode involving Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) chief Ibrahim Kalin and Afghanistan’s Taliban

ISLAMABAD: A reported diplomatic episode involving Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) chief Ibrahim Kalin and Afghanistan’s Taliban leadership has drawn attention amid ongoing efforts to ease tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The claims were reported by senior Afghan journalist Sami Yousafzai, who said Kalin travelled to Afghanistan as part of diplomatic efforts aimed at addressing regional security concerns, including Pakistan’s complaints regarding militant activity from Afghan territory.

According to the report, Kalin first held meetings with Taliban officials in Kabul before travelling to Kandahar. The visit reportedly took place alongside diplomatic engagements involving Qatar’s Deputy National Security Adviser, with both officials understood to have been involved in efforts to reduce tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Yousafzai claimed that during discussions in Kabul, Kalin raised Pakistan’s concerns about militants allegedly operating from Afghan territory. According to his account, Taliban officials in Kabul indicated that the matter could not be resolved there and that the issue would have to be taken up with the Taliban’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, in Kandahar.

The report further claimed that Kalin subsequently travelled to Kandahar for a meeting with the Taliban supreme leader. However, according to Yousafzai, the expected meeting did not take place.

Yousafzai alleged that Akhundzada declined to receive the Turkish intelligence chief and referred to him as “Westernized”. The report claimed that Kalin instead met with other senior Taliban officials, including Kandahar Governor Mullah Shireen.

The account has not been independently verified, and the Taliban have not publicly confirmed the reported exchange or explained why a meeting between Kalin and Akhundzada allegedly did not take place.

Following his reported visit to Afghanistan, Kalin travelled to Islamabad, where he briefed Pakistani officials on his assessment of the situation, according to the report.

The account further attributed a blunt assessment to Kalin regarding the Taliban leadership, suggesting that expecting rational decision-making from the group would be unrealistic. However, the exact wording and context of the reported assessment could not be independently established from the material available.

The reported diplomatic activity comes against the backdrop of continued tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan over cross-border militancy. Islamabad has repeatedly raised concerns about the presence of militant groups operating from Afghan territory, while Afghan authorities have rejected accusations that they allow their territory to be used against neighbouring countries.

The reported involvement of Turkey and Qatar highlights the efforts by regional actors to facilitate communication between the two sides and address security-related disagreements.

The reported refusal of a meeting with Akhundzada, if confirmed, could also provide insight into the Taliban’s internal decision-making structure and the role of Kandahar in major political and security matters. However, such conclusions would require confirmation from official sources.

Senior correspondent Kamran Yousaf has also been following developments surrounding the diplomatic contacts, according to the supplied report.

Minute Mirror is independently seeking confirmation of the reported meeting arrangements, the alleged remarks attributed to Akhundzada and the assessment reportedly given by Kalin in Islamabad.

Neither the Taliban leadership nor Turkish authorities had, at the time of the supplied report, publicly confirmed the specific details of the alleged Kandahar episode. Further official statements from Ankara, Kabul or Islamabad could clarify the circumstances surrounding the reported diplomatic engagements.