Afghanistan praises Turkey's efforts for Syrian refugees

By Nazli Yuzbasioglu

ISTANBUL

Afghan leader Abdullah Abdullah has praised Turkey's efforts to shelter and support Syrian refugees.

During the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, Afghanistan’s chief executive – who shares power with President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani – also spoke to Anadolu Agency on Monday regarding the recent killing of a Taliban leader and the importance of the summit.

"I think with the situations Turkey is faced with, as well as where refugees are concerned and the contributions of Turkey, [the summit] was at the right time, in the right place," he said.

Turkey adopted an open-door policy towards Syrian refugees in 2011, opening its borders to those fleeing the civil war there. Turkey now hosts around three million refugees.

About the recent killing of Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, Abdullah Abdullah said that the rebel figurehead was responsible for all terrorist actions in Afghanistan.

Mansoor was killed by a U.S. airstrike along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region, the Pentagon said on May 21.

Abdullah said: "Now there is a new phase. And this is an opportunity for those others [who] may have to rethink ... they can pursue their ideas but not through violence, not through links with terrorist groups."

He also said Mansoor had links with several terrorist organizations, including Daesh.

According to the U.S. Department of Defense, Mansoor was "an obstacle to peace and reconciliation between Afghanistan and the Taliban by prohibiting Taliban leaders from participating in peace talks with the Afghan government that could lead to an end to the conflict".

Since Mansoor assuming the Taliban leadership after the 2013 death of his predecessor Mullah Omar, the "Taliban have conducted numerous attacks that have resulted in the death of tens of thousands of Afghan civilians and Afghan security forces as well as numerous U.S. and coalition personnel," according to the Pentagon.

*Anadolu Agency correspondent Fatma Bulbul contributed to this report from Istanbul