UNITED NATIONS -- A diplomatic face-off is developing in New York between two representatives of Afghanistan -- the Taliban and the remnants of the government led by former President Ashraf Ghani, who fled the country after the Islamist militants took over Kabul.

Last week, the secretary-general's office received a communication from the "Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to the U.N.," signed by Ghani-appointed Ambassador Ghulam Isaczai, containing the list of Afghan delegates for the assembly, according to U.N. deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq. The letter listed the ambassador as the head of the delegation.

On Monday, however, the secretary-general received a communication with the letterhead "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Ministry of Foreign Affairs" signed by Taliban Foreign Minister Ameer Khan Muttaqi requesting to participate in the assembly. The letter claimed that as of Aug. 15, the day the Taliban took over Kabul, "Mohammad Ashraf Ghani [was] ousted and [countries across the world] no longer recognize him as president."

Haq said the letter declared the mission of the permanent representative under Isaczai as being over and that he "no longer represents Afghanistan."

Instead, a new permanent representative, Mohammad Suhail Shaheen -- a name familiar to Western diplomats as he is the spokesperson of the Taliban's Doha Office -- was nominated.

Since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan, no foreign government has recognized the group. Multilateral organizations like the World Bank and the IMF have cut off funding based on the question of the Taliban's legitimacy.

The U.N. will have to make a decision one way or another by Monday afternoon, when the U.N. floor is reserved for Afghanistan -- the last slot of the General Assembly.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas weighed in Wednesday, expressing opposition to using the speaking slot as an opportunity for Taliban recognition.

"To schedule a show at the United Nations won't serve anything," he told reporters in New York.

"What's important are concrete deeds and not just words, including on human rights and in particular the rights of women and on an inclusive government and distancing from terrorist groups," he said.

Each country's delegation to the U.N. is reviewed by the Credentials Committee, a nine-member group appointed by the president of the General Assembly and voted on by the assembly at the beginning of each regular session.

The nine members to the current session are the U.S., China, Russia, Bahamas, Bhutan, Chile, Namibia, Sierra Leone and Sweden.

Unless a change of representatives is approved by the committee, Isaczai can still perform as the permanent representative.

The Taliban's letter has been submitted to the committee and is expected to be discussed soon.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told Nikkei Asia Wednesday that Ankara does not have a position on which Afghan representative speaks at the assembly on Monday.

"This is not for us to decide. We will leave it to the Credentials Committee and follow what the committee decides," he said outside the newly built Turkish House in front of the U.N. headquarters.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu meets U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (not pictured) on the sidelines of the 76th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Sept. 21. The foreign minister says Turkey does not take a stance on the Afghan representative at this stage.   © Reuters

Turkey, which was responsible for security at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul for years leading up to the Taliban takeover of the capital, is now helping with repairs to reopen the airport.

While Credentials Committee meetings are usually ceremonial and only held to confirm the applications, they do come into focus when unlawful takeovers of power have occurred. In these times, they have the power to recognize the party chosen through elections over powers that took over by force.

In the 1990s, military forces that took the reins in Haiti and Sierra Leone were not acknowledged as representatives at the U.N.

Meanwhile for the Taliban, if Shaheen were to be accepted as the U.N. ambassador it would be a major stamp of approval from the international community and could pave way to access to funds that they desperately need.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told Nikkei on Monday that there is a new political reality and that the U.N. needs to accept the change of Afghan ambassador.

But a seamless transition could deprive the U.N. leverage to secure certain assurances from the Taliban, such as protection of women's rights and the establishment of an inclusive government.

During the Taliban's previous rule between 1996 to 2001, the Credentials Committee postponed a decision on who to recognize, and the previous representative of the Afghan government stayed in the post.

Additional reporting by Jack Stone Truitt and Ken Moriyasu in New York.