Taliban leaders* cordially congratulate Erdogan on election victory

Prime Minister of the “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan” (IEA, self-name of the country by the Taliban*) Mohammad Hassan Akhund cordially congratulated Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his re-election as president. Erdogan won the second round of elections after his 20-year rule was the strongest challenge, Afghan news agency Ariana News notes.

The IEA Prime Minister expressed his sincere hope for the growth of strength, stability and devotion to religious service in Turkey under the leadership of President Erdogan. Akhund also noted the bonds of brotherhood and friendship between the peoples of Afghanistan and Turkey and expressed hope for continued cooperation and mutual support between the two countries in various fields. He also said that Erdogan’s successful re-election would further strengthen diplomatic relations and shared values ​​between the two countries.

The official results showed Erdogan’s rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu won 47.9% of the vote against Erdogan’s 52.1%, indicating a deeply divided nation, the Afghan news agency said.

“The elections were considered one of the most important for Turkey, as the opposition believed that they had a great chance to overthrow Erdogan and change his policies after his popularity was hit by the economic crisis. But instead, Erdogan bolstered his image as an invincible politician by reshaping domestic and foreign policy in a NATO member country of 85 million people.” – writes the agency.

*Terrorist organization, banned on the territory of the Russian Federation