Pakistan, Turkey to strengthen ties, efforts for regional peace

ankara — Pakistan and Turkey have expressed their resolve to further strengthen the existing economic, trade and commercial relations, as well as enhance efforts for peace in the region.

Prime Minister Imran Khan, while addressing a Press conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan here after one-toone and delegations level meetings, said there was a unanimity of views between the two sides on various issues of bilateral and regional interest.

Imran said Pakistan and Turkey enjoyed special relations with their fraternal ties rooted in history, culture and religion.

The prime minister said Pakistan wanted to strengthen its relationships with Turkey in all fields. Pakistan wanted to benefit from Turkish expertise in the construction field as the PTI government has embarked on an ambitious project of constructing five million housing units in the next five year. Turkey had constructed two million houses in the last six years, the prime minister added.

The prime minister said Pakistan also wanted to take benefit from the Turkish health system, legal aid to under privilege people and education reforms.

About the Afghan issue, the prime minister said people of Afghanistan were suffering for more than three decades and it was time

Prime Minister Imran Khan and Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shake hands after a news conference in Ankara. — AP

that the international community should come forward.

He said Pakistan had already been helping a dialogue between the United States and the Taleban, but it needed much stronger efforts from all stakeholders.

The prime minister said he was looking forward to the trilateral meeting of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkey in Istanbul and expressed the hope that the trio would be able to boost the peace process.

While speaking about peace in South Asia, the prime minister said Pakistan was trying to have friendly relationships with India, but the later refused to hold talks. He said that Kashmir was the basic issue between the two countries.

“We are trying to have friendly relations with India and offered the neighbouring country negotiations many times in the recent past, but India refused to talk,” he added.

The prime minister said stability would come when Pakistan and India sit together for talks and resolve their differences.

He said both sides also discussed the Syria issue and prayed for peace in the war-torn country. The prime minister wished Turkey success in its endeavours to find a peaceful solution to Syrian issue.

Imran assured the Turkish leadership that Pakistan stood with it in its fight to defeat the Daesh group.

He said the Daesh group had emerged in Afghanistan and Pakistan’s border areas. However, the Pakistan Army did a remarkable job of defeating terrorism, he said, adding that terrorism had been vastly eliminated in Pakistan.

The prime minister hoped with the help of Pakistan’s neighbours — Iran, Afghanistan and Turkey — we can eliminate terrorism.

Turkish President Erdogan expressed his pleasure over the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s decision in which it termed the Gülen’s organisation running Pak-Turk schools a terrorist outfit.

He said Turkey would continue to be with Pakistan in future, adding that there was a strong support in Turkey for Pakistan. —

Pakistan fully supports Turkey in its fight against the Daesh in Syria. We wish Turkey all the best in its endeavours to find a peaceful solution to Syrian issue Imran Khan, Prime Minister