The various countries of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkestan are all family and tribal members related by blood and kinship.
They are led by tribal "war lords" who are also cultural, agricultural, and economic leaders in their communities.
Notice the emphasis on tribal !
Notice the emphasis on "war lords", as they identify their leadership with the heritage of Genghis Khan
The various country demarcations were established by the British about 1917 era, and are arbitrarily and capricious in nature
since they are all tribal and are inter-related to each other.
That is why the Afghani pilots fled to Tajikistan with their aircraft, and why the northern Afghani troops fled to Tajikistan with their arms which they gave up at the border.
They surrendered, basically, to their distant cousins in order to escape the invader Taliban, ultra-orthodox zealot Muslims, who came from Pakistan.
Agreed, they will probably head for Europe .. eventually.
I have heard of the Afghani’s referring to the Pakistan invaders, whom we call Taliban, as “ bezerkers “ .