“Turkey attaches importance to this election, which will determine the next administration for Afghanistan's people in this friendly and brotherly country,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Burak Özügergin was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency on Wednesday when asked about Turkey's contribution to Thursday's election.
Turkey sent an 11-member observer delegation to Afghanistan and has provided financial support for the election through the United Nations Development Program, Özügergin said, while Anatolia cited the amount of Turkey's financial help as $3 million. Turkey hopes that Thursday's election constitutes a further step in Afghanistan, which is passing through a difficult period, the spokesperson also said.
Thursday's election is the war-torn country's second direct presidential election. Taliban militants have pledged to disrupt the vote and circulated threats that those who cast ballots will be punished.
In line with its foreign policy traditions, the Turkish capital has refrained from lending support to any particular candidate in the elections despite its close relationship with current Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who participated in three trilateral summits with Pakistan and Turkey through the latter's mediation.
Nonetheless, after his appointment to his current post on May 1, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu demonstrated the importance Turkey attaches to this region with successive visits to uneasy neighbors Pakistan and Afghanistan in early June.
