Pakistani Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa reiterated that Islamabad highly values its "brotherly ties with Turkey", which are deeply rooted in history and culture.
According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), COAS Bajwa expressed these remarks during a meeting with Turkish Ambassador to Pakistan Mehmet Paçacı at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi.
During the meeting, matters of regional security situation, mutual and professional interest with special emphasis on defence and security collaboration between the two countries were discussed.
“We highly value our brotherly relations with Turkiye which are deeply rooted in history and entrenched in our cultural and religious affinities,” the COAS was quoted as saying by the ISPR.
Meanwhile, the Turkish Ambassador also called on Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu in Islamabad. They discussed matters of professional and mutual interest.
While appreciating the so-called professionalism of Pakistan Air Force, Turkish Ambassador acknowledged PAF’s rising indigenous capacity in aviation industry.
Speaking on the occasion, the Air Chief said that Pakistan and Turkey have longstanding religious, cultural and historical bonds which are manifested through strong ties between the Air Forces of two countries.
He highlighted that both the countries enjoy cordial relations and reiterated his resolve to further enhance the existing bilateral cooperation between the two brotherly countries.
The Air Chief said, Pakistan values its relations with Turkey, which they claim are based on convergence on all important issues relating to regional peace, security and stability.
This comes as last Thursday the parliament speakers of Ankara, Baku and Islamabad signed the Istanbul Declaration as an indicator of the continuation of the strong cultural and historical ties between the three countries.
Hosted by Turkish Parliament Speaker Mustafa Şentop in Istanbul, the meeting was attended by Pakistan’s Parliament head Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Azerbaijan’s Sahiba Gafarova.
The declaration underlined that the three countries will continue to work together in all fields while agreeing to deepen inter-parliamentarian dialogue.
It is recalled that on 13 January 2021, the foreign ministers of Turkey, Pakistan and Azerbaijan announced that they would collectively support each other’s ambitions for territorial expansionism — this means in support of Pakistan in Kashmir, in support of Turkey in Cyprus and the East Mediterranean against Greece, and in support of Azerbaijan against the Armenians.
READ MORE: Pakistan: We will continue to support Turkey on the Northern Cyprus issue.
