Pakistan will proceed to assist Türkiye within the efforts to safeguard the rights of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Pakistan’s Ambassador to Türkiye Yousaf Junaid stated.
Talking in an unique interview with Each day Sabah, Junaid stated: “Pakistan has all the time lent its assist to Türkiye on its core points together with the essential concern of Cyprus. We acknowledge the reputable rights and considerations of Türkiye and Turkish Cypriots within the Japanese Mediterranean.”
He underlined that Pakistan has constantly prolonged its unequivocal assist to TRNC in any respect worldwide fora, together with on the U.N., Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Financial Cooperation Group (ECO).
“We’ll proceed to do this,” Junaid emphasised.
Pakistan has been internet hosting a buying and selling workplace of TRNC in Islamabad since 1987.
Cyprus has been mired in a decadeslong dispute between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, regardless of a collection of diplomatic efforts by the U.N. to realize a complete settlement.
Right now, the Turkish aspect helps an answer based mostly on the equal sovereignty of the 2 states on the island. Alternatively, the Greek aspect needs a federal answer based mostly on the hegemony of the Greeks.
On the opposite aspect, Junaid spoke concerning the thriving bilateral ties between the 2 nations, saying that high-level exchanges and visits are a particular facet and common characteristic of relations.
“These interactions present the required impetus and possession by the management to information our strategic and complete relations.”
He recalled that Pakistan’s Prime Minister was in Ankara on the inauguration ceremony after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s historic re-election this Could and added that Erdoğan is anticipated to pay a go to to Pakistan within the close to future for the seventh Excessive-Degree Strategic Cooperation Council, for which the dates are being labored out.
The Excessive-Degree Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC) is the first platform on the management stage, which has been instrumental in additional cementing bilateral relations.
Protection ties are additionally persevering with to develop with Pakistan’s Military and Air Pressure Chiefs visiting Türkiye just lately.
Indicating that protection cooperation is “exemplary”, Junaid continued: “Our shut strategic partnership and protection collaboration is cemented via institutional mechanisms, high-level exchanges, and joint tasks. Pakistan is among the greatest prospects of the Türkiye’s protection merchandise.”
There may be an ever-increasing cooperation between Pakistan and Turkish protection Industries in tasks, together with Tremendous Mashak coach plane and MILGEM ships.
Final month, PNS Tariq, the fourth and the final of MILGEM corvettes constructed by Türkiye for Pakistan, was inaugurated at a ceremony in Pakistan’s southern port metropolis of Karachi with Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz attending this system.
“With the ever-changing geo-strategic pursuits, we’re working to strengthen our joint capabilities and manufacturing in key sectors together with the event of fighter plane. Our shut bilateral collaboration in all areas of mutual curiosity wouldn’t solely proceed however additional intensify sooner or later,” the ambassador stated.
It was beforehand reported that Pakistan and Türkiye would possibly cooperate on Türkiye’s domestically developed fifth-generation fighter jet KAAN. KAAN boasts all applied sciences and options present in fifth-generation warplanes. It should present the chance to strategically assault air-to-air and air-to-ground targets. It has a totally home infrastructure for safe information sharing and using good munitions.
On vitality cooperation, Junaid stated that equally big potential exists on this space as effectively.
“With a GDP of greater than $350 billion and 50% of our inhabitants of 220 million beneath the class of center revenue, Pakistan is a sexy funding vacation spot. We’re very eager to draw extra Turkish investments, particularly within the vitality, infrastructure and mining sectors. Corporations from either side can complement one another via joint ventures and faucet the immense vitality sources in Pakistan,” he stated.
The ambassador gave the instance of collaboration in renewables, together with wind and photo voltaic vitality. The Jhimpir Wind Energy Plant in Pakistan is an instance of earlier tasks whereas the 2 nations now additionally intention for funding of the magnitude of $10 billion within the photo voltaic vitality sector of Pakistan, which would come with solarization of presidency buildings to megaprojects.
“We imagine that the Turkish companies with aggressive edge and capability within the vitality sector can profit largely from our latest coverage ‘Pakistan Oil Refining Coverage for New/ Greenfield Refineries 2023,’” Junaid stated, including that: “Turkish firms are inspired to arrange their manufacturing services in Particular Financial Zones, which provide extremely engaging alternatives and services to the international traders.”
Potential for commerce
The ambassador, nevertheless, additionally talked about that the present bilateral commerce quantity, which is $1.3 billion (TL 35.14 billion), is under the potential of the 2 nations and that this determine can simply be enhanced via mutual steps.
“The ethnic, spiritual and cultural bonding, which exists in each attainable approach within the political enviornment and social enviornment, must be remodeled in a extra significant approach towards the realm of products, providers, commerce and economics.”
Our potential is much past the goal of $5 billion, he added. The ambassador talked about areas akin to agriculture, livestock, info applied sciences and mining as having potential for cooperation apart from already flourishing fields together with the textile and protection trade sector.
Calling on Turkish firms to contemplate Pakistan for investments, the envoy stated: “Pakistan has a vital geostrategic location. No matter you might be producing in Pakistan goes to be consumed round 30%-50% within the nation whereas the remaining will be simply exported to shut areas such because the Gulf area with low logistical prices.”
As an answer to extend the bilateral commerce quantity, the ambassador highlighted that the basket of financial cooperation fields must be enhanced, institutional mechanisms should be developed and funding has to movement initially from Türkiye towards Pakistan.
Worldwide challenges
Aside from bilateral ties, Türkiye and Pakistan additionally incessantly cooperate and seek the advice of on worldwide and regional challenges, together with growing assaults on Muslims and Islam in addition to the continued instability in Pakistan’s neighboring Afghanistan.
Junaid reiterated that Pakistan condemned within the strongest phrases the “mindless and deeply offensive act” of desecration of the Holy Quran in Sweden and earlier than that in different European nations.
“Such despicable acts name into query the authorized framework behind which the Islamophobes cover and unfold hatred with impunity. At a time when there may be an growing want for inter-faith concord and mutual respect for peaceable coexistence, the worldwide group can’t flip a blind eye to those developments, that are a supply of ache and anguish to over 2 billion Muslims world wide,” the ambassador added.
“We imagine that freedom of expression comes with duties. These provocative acts of spiritual hatred, by any definition, don’t represent freedom of expression. Pakistan considers that it’s the accountability of the nationwide governments in addition to the worldwide group to stop these racist and Islamophobic acts,” he stated.
Junaid highlighted that the 2 nations labored and are working intently beneath the ambit of the OIC to lift considerations, ensuing within the commemoration of “Worldwide Day to Fight Islamophobia” by the United Nations.
“Each Pakistan and Türkiye lead the Istanbul Course of, which is the sensible street map of U.N. Human Rights Council Decision 16/18 on combatting intolerance, discrimination and xenophobia on the idea of faith or perception. We might proceed with our mixed efforts towards such Islamophobic acts.”
In Afghanistan, equally, bilateral efforts are ongoing.
“As pals and companions of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkiye ought to proceed to work collectively in the direction of selling the shared beliefs of a peaceable, affluent and interconnected Afghanistan,” Junaid stated.
The ambassador additionally spoke on the difficulties the state of affairs in Afghanistan is inflicting for the nation. Internet hosting greater than 3 million Afghan refugees, Pakistan is asking for burden-sharing because it has been inflicting financial stress within the nation.
“Peace and stability in Afghanistan is a strategic crucial for Pakistan. Afghanistan has traditionally performed a job as a bridge between peoples and cultures. Peace in Afghanistan gives recent alternatives to appreciate this potential via tasks like TAPI, CASA-1000 and the Trans-Afghan Railways,” he stated.