Erdogan says Turkey ready to help Afghanistan to eliminate IS

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that Turkey would give all the necessary support for the eradication of the Islamic State (IS) from Afghanistan.

“The outbreak of Daesh virus in Afghanistan must be prevented,” Erdogan said at the eighth ministerial conference of Heart of Asia Istanbul Process in Istanbul, using the Arabic name of the IS.

To prevent terrorist organizations from finding a favorable environment in the region, the international community needs to boost material and moral investments in Afghanistan, the president said.

“Neglecting Afghanistan by focusing on some of the gains achieved in recent years will result in irreparable damage,” he stressed.

In his view, the private sector and regional projects should play a major role in the economic and social development of Afghanistan.

Heart of Asia Istanbul Process began with the Istanbul conference on Afghanistan in 2011 upon the initiative of Turkey.