List of ambassadors of Turkey to Afghanistan

The list of ambassadors of Turkey to Afghanistan provides a chronological record of individuals who have served as the diplomatic representatives of the Republic of Turkey to the many countries that existed in what is today known as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

Suicide attack on ambassador

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On 26 February 2015, a suicide bomber targeted İsmail Aramaz by ramming a Toyota sedan filled with explosives to a diplomatic Mercedes-Benz SUV used by the Embassy of Turkey outside their compound. Witnesses say the diplomatic SUV was waiting to pick up İsmail Aramaz, a Turkish national, who was just appointed as the representative of NATO to Afghanistan. He was not in the car and survived. The attack killed one Turkish soldier and wounded another.[1]

Importantly, İsmail Aramaz also served as the ambassador of Turkey to Afghanistan, and his term had ended a month prior to the attack, as he was now the representative of NATO to Afghanistan.[2]

Turkish soldiers stationed at the embassy responded to the scene.[3]

Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that they did not intend to harm any diplomatic mission, and that they targeted a US convoy.[4]

Turkish Armed Forces said in a brief statement that the attack targeted the team tasked with protecting İsmail Aramaz.[5]

List of ambassadors

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Ambassador Term start Term end Ref.
Abdur Rahman Peshawari 1 August 1920 25 June 1922 [6]
Fahrettin Türkkan 26 June 1922 12 May 1926
Yusuf Hikmet Bayur 30 June 1928 1 August 1931
Memduh Şevket Esendal 19 November 1933 31 October 1941
Kemal Köprülü 21 May 1942 15 May 1945
Ahmet Cavad Üstün 30 May 1945 14 December 1949
Cemal Yeşil 28 March 1951 26 January 1956
Zekai Okan 27 February 1956 19 February 1959
Talat Benler 31 March 1960 4 August 1964
Cemil Vafi 7 November 1964 19 December 1966
Hamit Batu 29 December 1966 18 January 1971
Ömer Faruk Şahinbaş 28 November 1971 2 April 1976
İlhan Bakay 31 July 1978 29 July 1981
Altan Güven 1 December 1981 16 August 1985
Salih Zeki Karaca 1 January 1985 1 January 1990
Aykut Çetirge 30 October 1993 1 May 1995 [7]
Bilge Cankorel 7 December 1995 27 November 1997 [8]
Ahmet Müfit Özdeş 12 March 2002 28 January 2004 [9]
Bülent Tulun 28 January 2004 17 December 2005 [10]
İsmail Ethem Tokdemir 25 December 2005 19 September 2009 [11]
Basat Öztürk 18 May 2011 1 December 2013 [12]
İsmail Aramaz 25 December 2013 1 January 2015 [5]
Ali Sait Akın 21 July 2015 16 November 2017 [13]
Oğuzhan Ertuğrul 30 November 2017 14 May 2021 [14]
Cihad Erginay 22 May 2021 Present [15]

References

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  1. ^ "Kabul bomb hits Turkish embassy car". Public Radio of Armenia. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  2. ^ "NATO Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan (designate)". NATO. 2015.
  3. ^ "Kabul Bomb Hits Turkish Embassy Car". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  4. ^ "Kabul bomb hits Turkish embassy car". BBC News. 26 February 2015. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Turkish soldier killed in attack on embassy vehicle in Kabul". AP NEWS. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  6. ^ "T.C. Dışişleri Bakanlığı – Turkish Embassy In Kabul – Büyükelçilik Tarihi ve Önceki Büyükelçilerimiz". kabil.be.mfa.gov.tr. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  7. ^ "Afganistan ve Polonya Büyükelçilik Binaları". Sanattan Yansimalar (in Turkish). Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  8. ^ ANKARA, Uğur ERGAN /. "Cesur Müfit Kabil Elçisi". www.hurriyet.com.tr (in Turkish). Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  9. ^ Bildirici, Faruk. "Amerikan elçisinin adamlarına tüfek çevirttim yarım saat kımıldamadan beklettim". www.hurriyet.com.tr (in Turkish). Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  10. ^ "Afganistan'da Türk mühendis öldürüldü". arsiv.ntv.com.tr. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  11. ^ A.A. "Tokdemir Kabil büyükelçiliğine atandı". www.hurriyet.com.tr (in Turkish). Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  12. ^ Wilson, Grady (22 December 2022). "H.E. Basat Öztürk". Atlantic Council. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  13. ^ Kelley, Michael B. "There's A Reason Why All Of The Reports About Benghazi Are So Confusing". Business Insider. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  14. ^ MENAFN. "Afghanistan, Turkey Celebrates 100 Years Of Diplomatic Relations". menafn.com. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  15. ^ "Taliban aid group donates $50,000 in plastic bag to Turkey earthquake victims". Al Arabiya English. 15 February 2023. Retrieved 14 May 2023.