- Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif meets Turk president, PM in Istanbul
- President Erdogan thanks PM Sharif, CM Shehbaz and Pakistani people for supporting Turkish leadership during coup attempt
- Prime Minister Binali Yildirim says Pakistan and Turkey will work jointly to eliminate terrorism
Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at President House in Istanbul on Saturday.
The chief minister paid tribute to the great leadership of Recep Tayyip Erdogan in foiling the coup attempt last month and said that he faced the situation with courage and steadfastness. On his call, the Turkish people came out to defend democracy and thwarted the conspiracy, the chief minister said, adding the people and democracy won under the leadership of Erdogan.
Shehbaz Sharif congratulated him on the behalf of Pakistani people for thwarting the coup attempt. He said failure of the conspiracy against democracy in Turkey was a proof of the fact that the Turkish people deeply loved their great leader and the democratic system. Sharif said that Allah Almighty had rewarded Erdogan for his selfless service to the people.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that coup was an evil attempt to derail the process of progress and prosperity, however, it was foiled with the blessings of Allah and the power of people. He thanked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the Pakistani people for supporting Turkish leadership at this difficult time. He said he knew that Shehbaz Sharif wanted to come to Turkey immediately after this incident to express solidarity with the Turkish leadership.
He thanked Shehbaz Sharif for expressing his sincerity and solidarity. He also appreciated the role played by the chief minister for the promotion of Pak-Turk relations and friendship between the two countries. The Turkish president further said that he still had pleasant memories of the hospitality of the people of Lahore during his visit and their love and sincerity was a precious asset of his life.
Meanwhile, Shehbaz Sharif also met with Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim in Ankara on Saturday.
Yildirim appreciated the Pakistan’s support to democracy in Turkey during the critical hour of recent abortive military coup. He said both Pakistan and Turkey had historical friendship and they were working jointly to eliminate the menace of terrorism.
Binali Yildirim said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was playing a vital role to strengthen democracy in Pakistan. The Punjab chief minster congratulated the Turkish prime minister and the people of Turkey for foiling military coup in the country. He said terrorism was a global issue and Pakistan and Turkey would work together to eliminate terrorism from both the countries. During the meeting, bilateral issues and cooperation between the two counties also came under discussion.
The Punjab chief minister also extended an invitation to the Turkish prime minister on behalf of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to visit Pakistan that he accepted and said that he would soon visit Pakistan.
During the meeting, the Turkish prime minister rang up Turkish Health Minister Recip Akdogan and directed him to extend all possible help for improving the healthcare system in Punjab. Provincial Minister Rana Sanaullah, members of the National Assembly Pervaiz Malik, Shaista Pervaiz Malik, Kh Ahmad Hasaan and others were also present.
Meanwhile, CM Sharif also met Bosnian President Bakir Izetbegovic at Ataturk Airport Istanbul before his departure for Pakistan Saturday night.
During the meeting, matters of mutual interest and promotion of bilateral relations came under discussion.
Sharif said that brotherly ties and friendship exited between Pakistan and Bosnia, however, there was a need to take speedy steps for promoting economic cooperation between the two countries.
Bosnian President Bakir Izetbegovic said that Pakistan was an important country of Islamic world; therefore, solid steps will be taken for the promotion of relations with it.