- Turkish FM says Ankara has Pakistan’s full cooperation against ‘Fethullah Terror Organisation’
- Says Turkey ‘fully supports’ Pakistan’s demand to send OIC Contact Group’s fact finding mission to Kashmir; Says Pakistan and Turkey will sign a free trade agreement ‘this year’
- Sartaj says Pakistan unequivocally supports democratic, peaceful and stable Turkey under the dynamic leadership of President Erdogan
- PM extends warmest congratulations to Turkish leadership and people for their triumph against ‘assault on democracy’
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Tuesday said Ankara had Pakistan’s “full cooperation” on taking action against what Turkey calls is the Fethullah Terror Organisation (FETO) – headed by Fethullah Gulen, who Turkey accuses of masterminding the recent coup attempt.
Addressing a joint press conference alongside Adviser to Prime Minister Sartaj Aziz in Islamabad, Cavusoglu said it is no secret that FETO has a presence in Pakistan and many other countries.
The Turkish foreign minister also said Turkey ‘fully supports’ Pakistan’s demand to send Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)’s fact finding mission to Kashmir.
According to reports, Pakistan has promised Turkey’s visiting foreign minister it would investigate a network of schools Ankara wants shut for alleged links to the US-based Muslim cleric it blames for last month’s coup attempt.
However, foreign policy chief Sartaj Aziz stopped short of agreeing to close PakTurk International Schools and Colleges, which educates 10,000 students and denies any affiliation with the cleric.
The request by Turkey is part of an international campaign by President Tayyip Erdogan against the interests of Fethullah Gulen and his religious movement.
Erdogan and the Turkish authorities blame the cleric and his followers for orchestrating last month’s failed military coup, in which more than 230 people were killed.
Gulen, who lives in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania, preaches Sunni Islam together with a message of interfaith dialogue.
He denies any involvement in the failed coup.
‘FULL COOPERATION’:
Regarding the ‘full cooperation’ that the Turkish government is receiving from the Pakistani government regarding Fethullah Gulen’s ‘terrorist organisation’, the foreign minister said: “In my opening statement I expressed my satisfaction and appreciation that we have full cooperation with Pakistan in that regard, and I’m sure the necessary measures will be taken.”
The Turkish foreign minister said Ankara was taking “all necessary legal measures against the plotters of the coup, namely the terrorist organisation FETO, headed by Fethullah Gulen”.
“Such organisations pose a threat to the security and stability of every country in which they have a presence,” he continued.
“This terrorist organisation has a global network of schools, business associations and cultural organisations. In the past, we supported them but we didn’t know they had a hidden agenda; that they were trying to take over power in Turkey through such attempts. The first attempt of this group took place in December 2013,” he said, adding that the ‘terror group’ must be fought all over the world.
TURKEY FOR SENDING FACT FINDING MISSION TO IOK:
Responding to a question regarding the Kashmir issue, Cavusoglu said Turkey “fully supports” Pakistan’s position, and asked the OIC Secretary General to mobilise the OIC Contact Group and send a fact-finding mission to Indian-held Kashmir.
“We believe this dispute can be solved only through dialogue and diplomacy, not violence or using force,” he said.
During an earlier meeting with Sartaj Aziz, Cavusoglu said both sides discussed methods to increase cooperation and are “hoping to sign a free trade agreement this year”.
The Turkish foreign minister said he had informed Aziz “how we are normalising our relations with Russia and Israel”, and also discussed regional issues, particularly ties with Afghanistan, and said Turkey would continue supporting reconciliation efforts in the region.
The Turkish foreign minister emphasised that a chain of ‘Gulen-run’ schools in Pakistan should be closed. He added that Turkey had asked Pakistan to close down these schools long before the attempted coup.
“The request was made when President Mamnoon Hussain visited Turkey,” he said.
He added that the two countries are in talks to initiate the Islamabad-Istanbul corridor.
Sartaj Aziz stressed that Pakistan and Turkey enjoy close brotherly relations. “We are on the same page when it comes to tackling terrorism.”
Sartaj Aziz also said that the Turkish people had foiled the attempts by a certain section of the Turkish army to stage a coup and overthrow the democratic government of Erdogan and Prime Minister Yildrim. Sartaj also reminded the Turkish Foreign Minister that the parliament of Pakistan had passed a resolution condemning the attempted military coup in Turkey.
PM NAWAZ CONGRATULATES TURKISH PEOPLE ON TRIUMPH AGAINST ASSAULT ON DEMOCRACY:
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, along with a delegation, called on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at the PM House on Tuesday.
Welcoming the Turkish foreign minister, the prime minister said that Pakistan and Turkey enjoy fraternal ties, which are based on common and shared bonds of history, culture, traditions, religion and social values.
The prime minister extended warmest congratulations to the Turkish leadership and people for their triumph against the assault on democracy on the night of July 15.
Reaffirming solidarity with Turkey in its fight against terrorism, the prime minister reiterated deep sympathies and condolences over the loss of precious lives in the terrorist attack at the Ataturk International Airport on June 28.
“Pakistan has also suffered greatly from terrorism. The ongoing military operation ‘Zarb-e-Azb’ and the National Action Plan have yielded highly positive results. The determination with which we have undertaken the operation has been lauded by the international community, including Turkey, for which we are grateful,” said the prime minister.
The PM expressed confidence that the High Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC) is playing an instrumental role in providing strategic direction to the development of bilateral relationship between the two countries. The prime minister also appreciated Turkey’s steadfast support to Pakistan’s quest for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
Mevlut Cavusoglu thanked Nawaz for the warm welcome extended to him in Pakistan. The Turkish foreign minister expressed gratitude for the solidarity shown by the Pakistani leadership with the government and people of Turkey during the attempted coup. He said the two countries need to further enhance bilateral relationship between the two countries by fully exploiting the available potential.
“Pakistan was one of the first countries to strongly and unequivocally condemn the attempted coup and express support and solidarity for President Erdogan and democracy in Turkey” said the foreign minister.
The meeting was also attended by Sartaj Aziz, Special Assistant to Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi and other senior officials of the government.
PAKISTAN, TURKEY TO TRANSFORM RELATIONSHIP INTO STRATEGIC, ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP:
Meanwhile Pakistan and Turkey have agreed to transform their warm relationship into a durable strategic and economic partnership.
The understanding came during talks between Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz and the visiting Turkish foreign minister.
The advisor on foreign affairs said they decided to further intensify engagement at all levels of relations to achieve this cherished goal.
He said early signing of Free Trade Agreement between the two countries will be an important milestone in bilateral relations. It is expected to be finalised during the next few weeks.
Sartaj Aziz reiterated Pakistan’s unequivocal support for a democratic, peaceful and stable Turkey under the dynamic leadership of President Erdogan.
He said the government as well as the people of Pakistan stand in unshakable solidarity with their Turkish brothers and sisters.
The Turkish foreign minister said Turkey and Pakistan support each other in good days and in difficult days. He said that is why Pakistan is the first country he is visiting following the attempted coup in Turkey. He said the Turkish and Pakistani people know they can rely on each other during difficult times.
He said their talks covered all aspects of relations and agreed increasing economic and commercial ties would be their priority. He hoped that the FTA will be signed next month.
He said Pakistan and Turkey have also been cooperating in the process of reconciliation in Afghanistan.
Aziz urges ambassadors to proactively promote Pakistan's interests……………………….
Shouldn't the ambassadors be proactively promoting their country's interest in the first place, it is a core part of their job, why do they need reminding. Do cronies appointed as ambassadors have what it takes to achieve such goals successfully?
This reminds me of Sahaba going to Habash Kingdom and people of Makkah sending representatives to pressure the king to return the "terrorists" back to Makkah.
Comments are closed.