LAHORE: Turkey is contributing to the development of Pakistan through a number of initiatives and projects undertaken by the Turkish companies in Pakistan.
Speaking as chief guest, Strategic Research Chairman Centre and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Republic of Turkey Diplomacy Academy Director, Professor Mesut Ozcan expressed his views at a seminar as part of a series of events to celebrate 70 years of Pakistan-Turkey diplomatic relations by the University of Management and Technology (UMT) under its newly established Pak-Turk studies centre on Tuesday.
Former foreign minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri presided over the event. Other attendees included UMT Chairman Dr Hasan Sohaib Murad and Rector Dr Muhammad Aslam, while Lt-Gen ® Humayun Khan
Bangash, Lieutenant General Waheed Arshad, Major General Tariq Masood, Shamshad Ahmad Khan, Dr Salman Shah, I A Rehman, Shafqat Mehmood, Ms Rubina Tayab, Muhammad Haroon Shaukat spoke on the subject.
Mr Ozcan said Turkey and Pakistan have many things in common and their brotherly relationship spanning over decades was now turning stronger with every passing day. He observed that circumstances in the Middle East were continuously changing and the ISIS is posing a serious threat and danger to other countries, but only destabilized countries would be greatly affected by it.
He said Turkey was a strong democracy so it had nothing to do with the danger of ISIS, the weaker democracies should think of it and formulate effective policies to eradicate all terrorist groups. He said there was a time when Turkey had ideal relations with the former Soviet Union, but today they think twice about whether to go with the European Union or not, as it was also coping with problems.
Emphasising the importance of education, he said the role of modern universities in imparting quality education for development was crucial and an economy without education could not get a boost.
Mr Ozcan appreciated Dr Hasan Sohaib Murad for taking a lead in setting up Pakistan’s first Pak-Turk studies centre at the varsity that would act as a platform to do public policy research in areas of the social, economic, and political landscape of both the countries. He said through this centre, scholarships to Pakistani students would be given to pursue further studies in Turkey.
Khurshid Kasuri said that Turkey had supported Pakistan in trying times and it was continuously contributing to the development of the country and its prosperity. He said just like Turkey, Pakistan too needed a brave and competent leadership in order to root out political and economic crisis including the issue of terrorism.
Dr Hasan Sohaib Murad said that Turkey was uncompromisingly looking after its interests. He said bilateral connections between the two countries on the basis of mutual respect, brotherhood, and unconditional friendship was supporting Pakistan to stabilize its economy and making a difference in other fields.
He also said that the objective of establishing Pak-Turk studies centre at UMT was to provide a forum for strategic discourse, develop study programs, exchange faculty and students, and host seminar and conferences on topics of mutual interest.
He said the UMT had already set up a bureau office in Ankara where it had won the Turkish government’s support for establishing a world-class university in order to translate the concept of ‘Two Countries-One Nation’ about Pakistan-Turkey friendship into a reality.
Director Academics Quality Ibrahim Hasan Murad, officials from the Turkish embassy and the Turkish consulate were also present on the occasion.
