Kashmiri-origin Pathan symbolises Turkey’s links with South Asia

As Turkey observes 96th death anniversary of Abdur Rehman Peshawari, translation of his biography is set to release

ISLAMABAD:

As Turkey observes the 96th death anniversary of freedom fighter Abdur Rehman Peshawari on Wednesday, his family living in Peshawar said they are planning to visit Turkey soon after the Covid-19 situation gets better.

Known as Turk Lala, and born in Peshawar in 1886, he held the distinction to become the first reporter of Turkish global wire Anadolu Agency, when it was founded on April 6, 1920.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Mohammad Saleem Jan, nephew of Peshawari thanked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for highlighting his uncle’s contribution. He said this has generated a lot of interest in Peshawri's role in the Turkish freedom struggle.

"We are planning to visit Turk Lala's tomb in Turkey and spend some time there once the coronavirus situation improves," Jan said.

Lala, in the Pashto language, refers to the elder brother and Peshawari as known as Turk Lala in his family and relatives.

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Belonging to a wealthy Samdani family, Peshawari who was studying at the world-famous Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in India abandoned studies to join the people’s mission to help Turkey during the Balkan war.

His grandfather had migrated from Baramulla, northern district of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) to Peshawar.

A bilingual translation of his biography is expected to be released soon. The biography written by Peshawari’s younger brother Muhammad Yusuf in 1979 has been translated into English by Abdul Akbar, press attaché in Pakistani mission in Ankara, and in Turkish language by Mucahit Aslan, head of protocol of Turkish Parliament.

During his address to the joint sitting of the Pakistan parliament in November 2016 and later in February 2020, Erdogan had highlighted his contribution to the Turkish nation.

According to Jan, his uncle had fought Turkey's War of Independence alongside Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the father of the Turkish nation, and was wounded three times.

He was assassinated in Istanbul in 1925, apparently mistaken for Rauf Orbay Bey, the first prime minister of Turkey after the war of independence.

Jan said that his uncle had not married and he valued the love and affection rendered to him by Turkish people.

Earlier in January, it was announced that Pakistan and Turkey will launch a joint project to produce a historical TV series Turk Lala to highlight the role of South Asian Muslims in the Balkan War.

In this connection, a leading Turkish director Kemal Tekden and his team visited Islamabad to hold a meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan.