A Washington-backed Afghan peace conference in Turkey has been postponed over non-participation by the Taliban, three sources told Reuters.
The meeting was scheduled for April 24 to fast-track an agreement between the Taliban insurgents and the Afghan government in light of the announcement by Washington that foreign troops would leave Afghanistan by Sept. 11.
"The Istanbul meeting is not happening on the given date because the Taliban refused to attend," a senior Afghan government official told Reuters.
The postponement was confirmed by two other sources, including one official whose country is involved in the planning process. There was no immediate revised date.