Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s expected visit to Pakistan next month will be a “historic” one, according to a top Pakistani government minister.
Erdogan’s “visit means a lot for every Pakistani, and every Pakistani is desperately waiting for that visit of President Erdogan and it will [be] a historic [one],” Pakistan’s Minister of State for the Interior Shehryar Khan Afridi told Anadolu Agency.
“Turkey lives right here,” Afridi said, putting his right hand on his heart, “in the heart and the soul of every Pakistani, from right, left, or center … from any sect, from any background, every Pakistani values relations with Turkey.”
Describing meeting with the Turkish president as “my dream” Afridi said: “I found him a genuine soul … someone who has taken Turkey to a level where Turkey is now competing at the highest level. So both countries have a bright future.”
On boosting bilateral trade ties, Afridi said: “We are doing our homework along with our Turkish brothers and we will definitely take it to a level where it will obviously become an example for both countries and for coming generations.”
The current volume between the two countries is $700 million, but according to Turkish ambassador to Islamabad Mustafa Ihsan, it could climb as high as $10 billion.
- ‘Fruitful’ outcome at Istanbul conference
On the Budapest Process conference, the Pakistani official said: “This particular initiative will go a long way for the sole reason that all stakeholders participated.”
“Such interactions and such events will definitely do [what is] needful,” he added. “Migration, whether for developing countries or developed countries, this is an issue that needs to be addressed under the UN charter.”
“Key areas were discussed and one thing is very fruitful, and the outcome is that all agreed to cooperate in the future. So that speaks in high volumes,” he said.
The Budapest Process, established in 1993, is a forum of over 50 governments and numerous international organizations, aiming at developing comprehensive and sustainable systems for orderly migration.
On Wednesday, in an action plan, the participating states called for international cooperation on migration management and immigration rights.
“Long live Pakistan and Turkey,” he said.
- Regional relations
Under the leadership of new Prime Minister Khan, Afridi said that his country puts “emphasis on our neighbors.”
“Pakistan as a nation has suffered enormously,” he said. “We are fighting the biggest war on land, we have made enormous sacrifices.”
On relations between Pakistan and Iran, especially Tehran’s accusation of Pakistani involvement in last week’s attack in southeastern Iran that killed 27 members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, Afridi urged the need for “dialogue”
Afridi also hailed this week’s “unprecedented” visit by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman to Pakistan as part of his Asia tour, including India and China.
During the two-day visit, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia inked $20 billion worth of trade and investment deals.
This investment deal “shows that Pakistan is not only here to survive, Pakistan is here to compete,” Afridi said.
- FETO terror group
On Pakistan’s declaration recent declaration of FETO -- the group behind the defeated 2016 coup in Turkey -- as a terrorist group, Afridi said: “Those who have violated a law or have become a scare in the face of humanity, they need to be given a lesson.”
On July 15, 2016, a FETO coup attempt in Turkey left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.
FETO -- led by U.S.-based Fetullah Gulen -- held a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.
