Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday affirmed that Pakistan and Turkiye would continue to push for dialogue and diplomacy while strengthening their defences under the Makkah Defence Agreement.
He made the remarks while addressing an event in Islamabad marking the 103rd national day of Turkiye, with which Pakistan enjoys strong bilateral ties and maintains multi-sectoral cooperation.
The premier said the pact, signed on Aug 7 between Pakistan, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia, marked an “important milestone” in cooperation between Islamabad and Ankara.
“It strengthens our collective deterrence and reinforces our shared commitment to regional peace and stability,” PM Shehbaz noted.
“While we strengthen our defences, we shall continue to champion dialogue, diplomacy, respect for international law and the peaceful settlement of disputes.”
The prime minister hailed Turkiye’s diplomatic support during Marka-i-Haq last May, when India initiated unilateral aggression against Pakistan, triggering a four-day conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
“Turkiye stood firmly by our side with unwavering commitment and dedication. This sincere act of solidarity was a profound source of comfort and strength for the people of Pakistan, a gesture that will forever remain etched in our hearts and our memories,” he emphasised.
Additionally, the premier observed that Islamabad and Ankara’s relationship had evolved into a “multifaceted strategic partnership”, spanning political dialogue, defence, trade, culture and people-to-people ties, among other areas.
He stressed that the economic partnership between Pakistan and Turkiye needs to match the heights of the political and strategic bond between both nations.
“In July this year, at the Pakistan-Turkiye business conference in Istanbul, I announced the establishment of the President Tayyip Erdogan Special Economic Zone in Karachi,” PM Shehbaz said.
“Now I invite Turkish businessmen to look at Pakistan with its young population, strategic location and growing economic opportunities. Let us translate the goodwill between our two peoples into joint ventures, shared prosperity and meaningful jobs for our young people.”
During his speech, the prime minister highlighted the longstanding, historic ties that the two countries shared, recalling that during the Khilafat Movement — a campaign to protect the Ottoman Empire after World War I — people donated whatever they could from the subcontinent, including money and jewellery, to support their “Turkish brethren”.
“A century ago, our forefathers sent their love across the seas. Generations later, that love returned to our doorsteps during our darkest times,” he added, referring to humanitarian aid from Turkiye during the 2005 earthquake and the devastating floods of 2010.
PM Shehbaz also highlighted that under Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s instructions, Turkiye established a modern hospital, a school and modern villages for the people of Muzaffargarh after the floods.
“The 100 years between the Khilafat Movement and that moment seemed to close into a single circle,” the premier said, noting that when a massive earthquake rocked Turkiye in February 2023, “the people of Pakistan grieved as if the rubble lay upon our own homes”.
“We stood with our Turkish brothers and sisters, in their hour of sorrow, just as they had stood with us.”
Earlier this week, Pakistan, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Iran participated in a quadrilateral meeting where Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called for “regional unity” and hoped that the presence of other Islamic powers would “further consolidate regional unity and cohesion”.
Earlier this month, both nations signed an agreement to enhance cooperation in combating terrorism, narcotics trafficking and organised crime and agreed to establish a joint working group to strengthen collaboration between their interior ministries.
The decisions were taken during a meeting between Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and his Turkish counterpart Mustafa Çiftçi in Istanbul.
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