Cargo train Gul symbolises growing Pak-Turk ties

ISLAMABAD – Gul cargo train, traversing 6500 kilometers from Islamabad, Tehran to Istanbul, will become a symbol of strength in the Pak-Turk ties in the coming years. The project got a final shape in the recent four day official visit of President Asif Ali Zardari to Ankara, the Turkish capital, from April 11-14.
With the strong encouragement of leaders of the two countries, Turkish Union of Chambers (TOBB) has announced to immediately start a company to run the project. The company will seek collaboration with business groups of Pakistan and Iran to execute the project. “We are planning to get the train running in less than a year,” said Rifat Hisarciklioglu, President of the Turkish Union of Chambers (TOBB) during a briefing to the Turkish and Pakistan Presidents.
Weekly trains are expected to take a one way trip in 11 days between Istanbul and Islamabad. Gul train will open up the unconnected and unexplored European and Asian markets for Pakistan. During his stay, President Zardari held fruitful discussions with Turkish President, Abdullah Gul, Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Speaker Grand National Assembly, Mehmet Ali Sahin on bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest.
The presidents in their meetings agreed to upgrade the existing Islamabad-Istanbul railway line, open up five Turkish bank branches in Pakistan and arrange for currency swaps to bolster trade and commerce. Pakistan and Turkey are keen to expand their bilateral trade volume from existing $1 billion to $2 billion by year 2012.
Turkish president in a joint press conference with President Zardari told that as his country has a customs union with Europe to trade goods, it will extend full support for enhancing Pakistani exports moving from Turkey to European markets. In his remarks before international media, President Abdullah Gul said his country’s economic relations with Pakistan were based on emotions emanating from sense of brotherhood.