Kashmir as important to Turkey as it is to Pakistan, Erdoğan says
KARACHI - Anadolu Agency
The issue of Kashmir is as important to Turkey as it is to Pakistan, Turkey's president said on on Feb. 14.
“We have never forgotten and will never forget the help, which the Pakistani people extended, by sharing their own bread during our War of Independence. And now, Kashmir is and will be the same for us. It was Çanakkale yesterday and it is Kashmir today, [there is] no difference,” Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told a joint session of Pakistan's parliament during his official visit to the country.
Erdoğan told how Turkey raised the Kashmir issue at the UN General Assembly last fall.
He said the suffering of the Kashmiri people had grown more severe due to “unilateral steps” in the recent years.
“This approach, which aggravates the current situation and revokes the freedom and vested rights of the Kashmiri people, does not benefit anyone,” Erdoğan said and added: “The Kashmir problem can be solved not by conflict or oppression, but on the basis of justice and equity.”
His remarks come some seven months into a lockdown on Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian-administered section of the disputed Kashmir region, a move widely decried by human rights groups as well as the global Islamic community.
Jammu and Kashmir is held by India and Pakistan in parts and claimed by both in full. A small sliver of Kashmir is also held by China.
Since they were partitioned in 1947, the two countries have fought three wars -- in 1948, 1965 and 1971 -- two of them over Kashmir.
Some Kashmiri groups in Jammu and Kashmir have been fighting against Indian rule for independence or unification with neighboring Pakistan.
According to several human rights organizations, thousands of people have reportedly been killed in the conflict in the region since 1989.
In his record fourth address to Pakistan's parliament, Erdoğan also addressed the situation in Idlib, northwestern Syria, saying that Turkey's latest steps in the province's de-escalation zone are meant to prevent the Assad regime from killing 4 million oppressed people using barrel bombs.
Pakistan stands with Turkey's righteous cause, despite others who work to protect terrorists, he said, referring to Turkey's anti-terrorist Operation Peace Spring, launched last October, in northwestern Syria.
Turkey to support Pakistan's counter-terror efforts
“Turkey will continue supporting Pakistan in its fight against terrorism,” he added.
Erdoğan also said Turkey would support Pakistan against the application of political pressure by the intergovernmental Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
The international watchdog against money laundering and financing of terrorism FATF has put Pakistan on its grey list for jurisdictions with strategic deficiencies.
Turkey, Malaysia, and China have been 3 main countries that have been supporting Pakistan to move out of the FATF grey list.
The international watchdog against money laundering and financing of terrorism FATF has put Pakistan on its grey list for “jurisdictions with strategic deficiencies”.
Turkey, Malaysia, and China have been 3 main countries that have been supporting Pakistan to move out of the FATF grey list.
On the so-called Deal of the Century on Jerusalem, announced last month by U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House to widespread condemnation, Erdoğan blasted the plan as “an occupation project.”
Turkey to support Pakistan's counter-terror efforts
“Pakistan continues to make progress on the path of development and prosperity. Undoubtedly, economic development cannot be achieved within a single day. It is necessary to work hard for this to act in a planned way with perseverance, faith and confidence. Stability and trust are two indispensable conditions for development,” Erdoğan said.
He said Pakistan's efforts in cooperation with legislative, executive, judicial and military institutions as well as its steps to improve business and the investment environment “will make Pakistan a more attractive country in the eyes of investors.”
“We appreciate Pakistan's efforts to combat terrorism,” he added.
“Pakistan is a country that has suffered from instability, terrorism and conflicts in its region. As a country that has been fighting separatist terrorist organizations including ISIL, the PKK and FETÖ for 35 years, we understand the challenges Pakistan faces and we will continue to support Pakistan in its efforts against terrorism.”
The YPG/PKK has taken some 40,000 lives in its 30-year terror campaign on Turkey, and FETÖ infiltrated national institutions to launch a defeated coup
attempt against Turkey in 2016.
Turkey stands with Pakistan in FATF
Erdoğan also said Turkey would support Pakistan against the application of political pressure by the intergovernmental Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
FATF, an international watchdog against money laundering and the financing of terrorism, has put Pakistan on its grey list for jurisdictions with strategic deficiencies.
Turkey, Malaysia, and China are the three main countries pushing to remove Pakistan from the grey list.
Visiting Turkish president meets Pakistani counterpart
Pakistani President Arif Alvi on Feb. 13 hosted a reception in honor of his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the capital Islamabad.
The reception was held at the President House hours after Erdoğan arrived in Islamabad for a two-day official visit.
According to a statement by the presidency, both leaders stressed the importance of historic bilateral relationship between Turkey and Pakistan in various areas, including politics, economy, culture, defence and people-to-people contacts.
Alvi briefed Erdoğan on the worsening human rights situation in the Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir and thanked him for his "principled stance" on Kashmir.
The two leaders also exchanged views on regional and international issues.
Alvi underscored Pakistan's efforts for Afghan peace and stressed that the global community should help Afghanistan in post-conflict reconstruction.
The two leader also agreed that Pakistan and Turkey must continue to work closely to counter challenges facing the Muslim ummah, including Islamophobia, the statement added.
They affirmed that both countries would continue to extend mutual support on issues of each other's core national interests.
The leaders highlighted the importance of fully realizing the great potential of relationship between Pakistan and Turkey and transforming it into a strong and dynamic trade and economic partnership, it said.
The two leaders, along with delegations, held talks focusing on bolstering the bilateral strategic and economic cooperation, the state-run Pakistan Television reported.
The two leaders vowed to increase the strategic partnership between the two countries, according to the broadcaster.
“Alvi expressed his satisfaction over ever-increasing cooperation between the countries in different sectors” the channel reported.
Apart from the two presidents, Pakistan's Army Chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Finance and Treasury Minister Berat Albayrak, Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan, and Presidential Spokesman İbrahim Kalin also attended the reception