President Mamnoon Hussain has urged for further strengthening cooperation between Pakistan and Turkey to jointly combat the menace of terrorism in order to establish peace and stability not only in the two brotherly countries but the entire region.
President Mamnoon Hussain said this while welcoming aTurkish Parliamentary Delegation led by Mr. Ismail Kahraman, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly Of Turkey (GNAT) who called on him at the Aiwan-e-Sadr, Islamabad on Tuesday.Sardar Ayaz Sadiq Speaker, National Assembly, Mr. Muhammad Pervez Malik MNA, Convener, Pak-Turk Parliamentary Friendship Group and Ambassador of Turkey Sadik Babur Girgin were also present on the occasion.
The President expressed his deepest condolences over the loss of many lives in the recent terrorist attacks in Istanbul, Ankara and other cities, and assured Mr. Kahraman that people and Government of Pakistan stand in strong solidarity with Turkey and are ready to assist in any way possible. President Mamnoon Hussain condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and said that terrorists have no religion. The President said that the misguided elements involved in terrorism are tarnishing the image of Islam and emphasized that Islam is a religion of peace and such barbaric acts cannot be condoned.
President Mamnoon Hussain said that the current level of trade between the two countries is not commensurate with the actual potential and called for sustained efforts to raise the volume of trade. The President said that the process for FTA agreement between the two countries needs to be expedited to bolster bilateral trade.
President Mamnoon Hussain expressed satisfaction at the defence cooperation between the two countries and noted with appreciation that the training facilities in both the countries are being utilized by the defence personnel of the two brotherly countries. The President thanked Turkey for providing trainer aircrafts to Pakistan Air Force and expressed his optimism that collaboration between the two countries in the defence sector will further grow in the future.
President Mamnoon Hussain paid glowing tributes to the farsighted leadership of President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu for transforming Turkey into a prosperous and developed country during the last decade. The President said that Pakistan also faced similar challenges during the last 15 years but under the leadership of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif the country is now on the road to progress and prosperity and hoped that in the coming years the country will overcome the problems it faces.
The President noted that Pakistan and Turkey’s unique relationship remains unparalleled in terms of mutual trust, understanding and close cooperation, and called for increasing the frequency of exchanges between Pakistan and Turkey in the political, parliamentary, economic and defence realms to further cement brotherly relations.
The Speaker of Grand National Assembly of Turkey Mr. Ismail Kahraman said that Pakistan and Turkey are facing the common problem of terrorism and hoped that with mutual cooperation, the two countries will soon get rid of this menace and expressed his sympathies for the victims of terrorism in Pakistan. He praised Pakistan’s efforts for peace and stability in Afghanistan and hoped that the peace initiative will achieve success. While acknowledging support of Indian Muslims during Turks’ struggle for freedom, the Turkish Speaker said that the Turkish people and leadership hold the people and the Government of Pakistan in highest esteem. He expressed his country’s support for the people of Kashmir and called for unity of Muslim Ummah to overcome their problems.
President Mamnoon Hussain welcomed the Speaker and his delegation on their visit to Pakistan and hoped that their stay would be comfortable and productive.
PREVIOUS NEXT
