STAFF REPORT
PESHAWAR: Ambassador of Turkiye to Pakistan, Mehmet Pacaci has said Pak-Turkiye friendship is exemplary and long-lasting and people of both countries own honor and respect each other.
He expressed these views while addressing a reception hosted in his honor by a senior politician, businessman, and Honorary Consul General of Turkiye in Peshawar, Salim Saifullah Khan.
The grand reception was arranged to celebrate a national day of the Republic of Turkiye and to celebrate 75 years of Pak-Turkiye friendship.
Turkiye national day celebration
Former Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Zafar Iqbal Jhagra, graced the event as the chief guest. At the same time, people from other walks of life, including politicians, business people, traders, diplomats, honorary consul generals of South Korea, Afan Aziz, and others, also attended the event.
Meanwhile, the Ambassador of Turkiye said the people of his country have great respect for the people of Pakistan for the role of their elders in the war of independence.
The envoy thanked the people of Pakistan for celebrating the National Day of Turkey with vigor and said 75 years of Pak-Turkiye friendship would be celebrated with great zeal.
Turkiye’s role in floods, earthquake
While commenting on the aid and support from Turkiye in response to catastrophes in Pakistan, including the 2005 earthquake, 2010 floods, and recent devastating floods, ambassador Mehmet Pacaci said it is his country’s religious and moral duty to come and support a brotherly country.
He added that what he did was their duty which they fulfilled, and said they would continue to respond in the same manner.
Talking about economic stability, he stressed the enhancement of regional cooperation while adding that Pakistan, Iran, and, Central Asian Republics can unite to form alliances for economic betterment in the region.
Earlier, while addressing the gathering, Salim Saifullah said that a mega function would be arranged over the celebration of 100 years of Independence of the next year, which it obtained some hundred years back in 1923 under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
He also recalled Abdul Rahman Peshori, who hailed from Peshawar and is known as Abdur Rehman Bey’. He migrated there in 1912 along with a group of other volunteer medics to help Ottoman forces in the Balkan war and lived there until his death.
Salim Saifullah also requested the Ambassador to play his role in issuing the visa process from Peshawar and beginning flights between Ankara and Peshawar.
