Türkiye’s role in the Afghan state-building and reformation process in the 1920s and 1930s

Abstract

The period of the 1920s and 1930s witnessed significant reformation efforts in both Türkiye and Afghanistan initiated respectively by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and Amanullah Khan. However, while Türkiye under the guidance of Atatürk made significant progress in the reformation and modernization process, the reforms launched by Amanullah Khan in Afghanistan failed despite the strong assistance the Afghan government received from Türkiye and other countries. This article seeks to explain the motivations of the two leaders as well as the discourse of their interaction with the goal of understanding the influence of the Turkish experience on the Afghan reform process. It could be argued in this regard that the origins of Turkish-Afghan relations lie in the shared interest of the two countries for reformation, while mutual sympathy and the needs of the Afghan people inspired the further pledges of the Turkish government to Afghanistan.