On June 6, 2006 The American Institute of Afghanistan Studies (AIAS) facilitated a memorable gathering in Kabul, Afghanistan. A group of 17 ethnic Kirghiz, originally from the remote Afghan Pamir, were returning from their new home in Turkey after an absence of 28 years. A smaller delegation, representing Kirghiz still in the Pamir, also happened to be in Kabul. So too was Masood Khalili, on leave from his post as Afghan Ambassador to Turkey.

AIAS center director and anthropologist Whitney Azoy brought these elements together – along with television coverage – at Ambassador Khalili’s home. As the cameras rolled, Kirghiz notables spoke of exile and homecoming, of loss and hope. The ambassador praised the excellent relations between Afghanistan and Turkey. There was much talk – in Turkish, Persian, and English – about development for the Kirghiz in both countries. And yet, according to the evening news on Tolo [Dawn] TV, “True credit for today’s reunion goes to a third nation’s representative: the American Institute of Afghanistan Studies.”