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Turkish Prime Minister To Visit Kabul Sunday

Binali Yildirim, the prime minister of Turkey, will meet with President Ashraf Ghani and CEO Abdullah Abdullah in a visit to Kabul on Sunday.

Yildirim will also meet with other high-ranking officials to discuss the Afghan peace process and progress being made in terms of the Afghan-Turk Schools, the CEO’s office said on Saturday. 

The CEO’s deputy spokesman Jawed Faisal said education and the Afghan peace process are issues that Yildirim and Afghan officials will focus on. 

“Afghan and Turkish governments already have agreed on Afghan-Turk Schools issue,” said Faisal. 

However, some sources have said the Turkish prime minister will also discuss the return of First Vice President General Abdul Rashid Dostum to Afghanistan and also the possible handover of two Turkish citizens that have been under house arrest in Kabul for the past five months. 

Sami Yavuz, the owner of a Turkish restaurant in Kabul and Yılmaz Aytan, an Afghan-Turk School teacher have been under house arrest since the Afghan security forces raided an Afghan-Turk School in Kabul five months ago. 

Following the failed military coup in Turkey in 2016, the Turkish government asked Afghanistan to hand over the management of Afghan-Turk Schools. Turkey maintains the schools were managed by Fethullah Gulen – who they blame for having been behind the failed coup.

However, government has not commented on the fate of the two Turkish nationals under house arrest.

The Turkish government has said however it has repatriated dozens of members of the Gulen Movement from other countries following the failed military coup. 

“So far Turkey’s intelligence has brought back up to 80 members of the movement from 18 countries,” Yildirim’s deputy Bekir Bozdağ said. 

Although government officials have not commented regarding the return of Dostum to Kabul, some sources have said Yildirim will also speak with Afghan officials about Dostum’s return. 

A close aide to Dostum last week said Dostum and Ghani talked on the phone recently and that Dostum will return home soon. 

“Government can legally investigate any problem (it has with Dostum),” MP Sayed Ikram said. 

This comes after the Afghan government handed over the management of the Afghan-Turk Schools to Turkey’s education ministry on February 28  – a move sharply criticized by parents and family members of the students.

Families of the students on Saturday said in a statement they will hold a press conference on Sunday in reaction to Yildirim’s visit to Kabul.

Turkish Prime Minister To Visit Kabul Sunday

The CEO’s office confirmed Binali Yildirim will hold talks with the president, the CEO and other high-ranking officials.  

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Binali Yildirim, the prime minister of Turkey, will meet with President Ashraf Ghani and CEO Abdullah Abdullah in a visit to Kabul on Sunday.

Yildirim will also meet with other high-ranking officials to discuss the Afghan peace process and progress being made in terms of the Afghan-Turk Schools, the CEO’s office said on Saturday. 

The CEO’s deputy spokesman Jawed Faisal said education and the Afghan peace process are issues that Yildirim and Afghan officials will focus on. 

“Afghan and Turkish governments already have agreed on Afghan-Turk Schools issue,” said Faisal. 

However, some sources have said the Turkish prime minister will also discuss the return of First Vice President General Abdul Rashid Dostum to Afghanistan and also the possible handover of two Turkish citizens that have been under house arrest in Kabul for the past five months. 

Sami Yavuz, the owner of a Turkish restaurant in Kabul and Yılmaz Aytan, an Afghan-Turk School teacher have been under house arrest since the Afghan security forces raided an Afghan-Turk School in Kabul five months ago. 

Following the failed military coup in Turkey in 2016, the Turkish government asked Afghanistan to hand over the management of Afghan-Turk Schools. Turkey maintains the schools were managed by Fethullah Gulen – who they blame for having been behind the failed coup.

However, government has not commented on the fate of the two Turkish nationals under house arrest.

The Turkish government has said however it has repatriated dozens of members of the Gulen Movement from other countries following the failed military coup. 

“So far Turkey’s intelligence has brought back up to 80 members of the movement from 18 countries,” Yildirim’s deputy Bekir Bozdağ said. 

Although government officials have not commented regarding the return of Dostum to Kabul, some sources have said Yildirim will also speak with Afghan officials about Dostum’s return. 

A close aide to Dostum last week said Dostum and Ghani talked on the phone recently and that Dostum will return home soon. 

“Government can legally investigate any problem (it has with Dostum),” MP Sayed Ikram said. 

This comes after the Afghan government handed over the management of the Afghan-Turk Schools to Turkey’s education ministry on February 28  – a move sharply criticized by parents and family members of the students.

Families of the students on Saturday said in a statement they will hold a press conference on Sunday in reaction to Yildirim’s visit to Kabul.

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