Republican lawmakers urge Biden to recognize opposition forces in Afghanistan

ANKARA

Republican party officials urged the administration of Joe Biden to recognize the opposition forces as "the legitimate government representatives of Afghanistan" on Friday.

"After speaking with Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh and representatives of Ahmad Massoud, we are calling on the Biden Administration to recognize these leaders as the legitimate government representatives of Afghanistan," said congressman Mike Waltz and Senator Lindsey Graham in a joint statement.

The two Republican lawmakers urged the administration "to recognize that the Afghan Constitution is still intact" and the Afghan Taliban takeover is illegal."

The statement came after the Taliban seized control of most of Afghanistan in recent lightning advances that captured Kabul on Aug. 15, forcing President Ashraf Ghani and other top officials to leave the country.