CHP’s Murat Bakan Questions Alleged Taliban Labor Deal with Turkey

CHP Deputy Chair Murat Bakan has brought allegations of a potential labor agreement between Turkey and the Taliban regime to the floor of Parliament, expressing grave concerns over employment risks, national security, and public accountability.

Allegations: Taliban Seeking to Export Workers to Turkey

According to reports, the Taliban government in Afghanistan is allegedly seeking to send unemployed Afghans to work in foreign countries—including Turkey—in a bid to reduce domestic unemployment. Murat Bakan responded with urgency, submitting formal parliamentary questions to three key ministers: Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, Labor and Social Security Minister Vedat Işıkhan, and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

“This Agreement Poses Security and Employment Risks”

Bakan emphasized that such a deal would be “incomprehensible” in light of Turkey’s own economic hardships, citing a broad unemployment rate of 32.9%, a rising exodus of skilled labor, and the backlog of unemployed graduates.

“While Turkey struggles with mass unemployment and its own citizens remain jobless, why is the government considering importing labor from the Taliban regime?” Bakan asked.

He further warned that a deal with the Taliban, designated as a non-democratic and radical regime, could pose serious internal security threats.

Key Questions to Ministers

Murat Bakan demanded clarification on several fronts, including:

• Are these Taliban labor export claims true?

• Are any official negotiations underway?

• Under what legal status and permits would Afghan workers be employed?

• How would security clearances and intelligence vetting be conducted?

• Has a terrorism risk assessment been made for potential recruits?

Ministers Expected to Respond

To Interior Minister Yerlikaya, Bakan asked whether any individuals from Afghanistan were being vetted for radicalization risks or intelligence threats. He demanded to know if Yerlikaya’s office was involved in any stage of the alleged negotiations.

To Labor Minister Işıkhan, he questioned why the government would import foreign workers when Turkish citizens are struggling with unemployment, and asked which sectors were being considered for such labor.

To Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Bakan requested confirmation of whether talks had indeed occurred and, if so, what the nature of those discussions was.