Examination of the influence of the ethnic structure on the struggle for power in Afghanistan (1989-2019)

Ethnicity is very important for multi-ethnic societies. Afghanistan is an ethnically, culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse country. The arrangements for governing the country are largely based on ethnic participation. Despite many changes since 2001, the sharing of political power in society is based on an unwritten agreement between different ethnic and tribal groups. However, the existence and dominance of ethnic, cultural, religious and linguistic differences sometimes lead to micro-level conflicts between citizens. The Bonn Agreement, which aims to end the internal conflicts in Afghanistan that have been going on since 1979, entered into force in 2001, a very important development. In essence, the agreement aimed to reduce the ethnic interests that were the root cause of these protracted internal conflicts. This is because, with the end of the Cold War, the war in Afghanistan transformed from an ideological struggle into a brutal ethno-nationalist conflict. This transformation was largely fueled by neighboring countries. Under the Bonn Agreement, ethnic categories were considered as the basic building blocks of the political process in Afghanistan. In this context, this study analyzes the impact of the ethnic structure on the power struggle in Afghanistan in the period between 1989-2019. The study concludes that in order to achieve a lasting peace in Afghanistan, a multi-party system should be established on a civil, not ethnic, basis. In the reconstruction of political institutions, it is emphasized that efforts should be made to reduce the influence of ethnic tendencies on the political sphere. Keywords: Afghanistan, Ethnic Structure, Struggle for Power.