The Turkic Women’s Movement of Afghanistan (TUWM) has issued a statement strongly condemning the recent statements of Zalmay Khalilzad’s wife, Cheryl Bernard, a figure close to the Doha agreement process.
In an article on the National Interest website, Bernard called the concerns of Afghan refugees about returning to Afghanistan “unfounded,” the statement, released on May 21, 2025, said.
The movement described such views as “indifferent, irresponsible and helping to legitimize the Taliban apartheid regime.”
Members of the movement have accused Benard of ignoring the realities on the ground, insulting the suffering of refugees, and trying to normalize gender apartheid.
Meanwhile, Dr. Amin Ahmadi, a university professor and former member of the republican peace talks delegation, said Bernard’s statements could provide the basis for a legal complaint by Afghan women. She stressed that these positions could be considered an example of “assistance in crimes against women”.
