They say hindsight is 20/20
It is in the best interest of Pakistan and Turkey to develop closer economic, strategic and diplomatic relations. Both must, however, have a clear understanding of each other’s limitations. The Turkish President deserved the highest protocol at the airport on account of 69 years of brotherly relations and the need being felt to enhance them further. Pakistan, having long-term state to state ties with Turkey, should have avoided any action that gives these the colour of family to family relations. Similarly, instead of a single chief minister being at the airport the others should have been there as well – or none at all.
Pakistan and Turkey are both fighting terrorism. Both face isolation in their respective regions. With Turkey promising to help improve Islamabad’s relations with Afghanistan and Ankara’s support for Pakistan’s Kashmir policy and its defence cooperation with Islamabad, the relations between the two countries are on a solid footing. Erdogan survived the coup attempt and is currently dealing with those in the military, judiciary, academia and media he considers had collaborated with his opponents. He thanked Pakistan therefore for being the first to provide instant support to his government. Turkey has been in the grip of terrorist attacks from the IS and Kurd nationalists which has taken a heavy toll of Turkey’s tourism industry. Pakistan needs to provide Ankara its expertise in dealing with terror and whatever help it can extend. .
Pakistan being a federation, Islamabad rather than Lahore should have been the place for holding talks between businessmen from Turkey and Pakistan so that there was no perception of only one province benefiting from relations with Turkey. Pakistan government should have also assured Turkey that if anyone of the Turkish teachers was found involved in terror he would be awarded exemplary punishment in accordance with the country’s harsh laws against terrorists. Expelling them from the country without hard proof is not in the best traditions of a responsible democratic state. Many in Pakistan would disagree with Erdogan that Pakistan has an ideal democracy. In fact both Pakistan and Turkey have to do a lot to be considered ideal
