Erdogan’s visit

We consider the pain of Pakistan as our pain, their joy as our joy and their success as our own success. With these words President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey has expressed the brotherly sentiments that he holds for Pakistanis and the strategic relationship that he seeks with Pakistan. In his address to the joint sitting of parliament in Islamabad on Friday, the Turkish president minced no words vowing to support Pakistan on Kashmir and FATF as well as on its fight against terrorism, hunger and poverty. Leading a large group of businessmen from diverse fields, Erodgan also demonstrated his seriousness to expand the trade and business relationship with Pakistan.

President Erdogan unequivocally expressed his stance on Palestine and Afghanistan. He was categorical in his criticism of President Donald Trump’s Mideast Plan, calling it a “plot to occupy Palestinian territory”. He rejected the US plan of “occupation, annexation and destruction” under the name of ‘Deal of the Century’. He showered praise on Pakistan for contributing to the peace process in Afghanistan, and pledged “support to both brotherly countries” in pursuit for a lasting peace in the region.

That President Erdogan did take up a visit to Pakistan despite Prime Minister Imran Khan failing to keep his commitment to attend the December 2019 Kuala Lumpur Summit – pretty understandably on the wishes of its other ‘friendly’ countries in the region – shows that the Pak-Turk relationship is beginning to grow into a serious engagement, and cannot be deterred by a diplomatic hiccup or two. And with nations like Malaysia, Iran and Qatar having by and large similar diplomatic goals, many a political analyst sees the possibility of a new regional bloc emerge.

The whole Pakistani leadership was on the same page – in a unanimous display of affirmation to Turkey’s diplomatic position and its show of support for Pakistan. Prime Minister Imran Khan, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, PPP cha¬irman Bilawal Bhutto-Zar¬dari and senior PML-N leader Khawaja Asif were among the parliamentarians who listened to President Erdogan speak. Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan and Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi were also present.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 16^th, 2020.

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