Turkey inaugurates new consulate building in Pakistan

KARACHI

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu on Jan. 14 inaugurated the country’s new consulate building in Pakistan's commercial capital Karachi.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony, Çavuşoğlu said the new building is a symbol of Turkey-Pakistan friendship, which will be further strengthened in days to come.

Appreciating the work of Turkish and Pakistani architects, contractors, and workers who took part in the construction of the new building, he said the Turkish Consulate in Karachi will continue to play its role in enhancing the commercial value of the port city.

A mixture of Turkish and Pakistani architecture, the construction of the building began in 2017.

Describing Karachi as an extremely dynamic city with a large human resource, he said: "It is not a coincidence that one of the largest consulate buildings in the world is in Karachi.”

Çavuşoğlu also said 22-storey Turkish Consulate building in New York, which is currently under construction, will become operational by the end of this year.

Pledging that they will encourage Turkish companies to invest more in Karachi, the top diplomat said Turkish companies are active in many areas including construction, information technologies, waste management, and defense industry.

“We will increase these contacts in the upcoming period. We will further strengthen our ties and cooperation with brotherly country Pakistan in every field, especially in the defense industry,” he added.

Mentioning Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's vision for development, Çavuşoğlu said it aims to work for the development and prosperity not only of Turkey but also of its friendly countries.

Turkey's Ambassador to Pakistan İhsan Mustafa Yurdakul and Consul General in Karachi Tolga Uçak were also in attendance of the ceremony.

Çavuşoğlu, who is on a two-day visit to Pakistan, also visited the mausoleum of Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of the South Asian Muslim state, and laid floral wreath on his grave.

"I commemorate with respect and mercy Quaid-i-Azam Muhammed Ali Jinnah, one of the chief architects of Turkey-Pakistan friendship," Çavuşoğlu said in a tweet.

Earlier, Turkey's top diplomat met with Sindh Governor Imran Ismail at the Governor House and discussed issues relating to bilateral cooperation in fields of education, health, science and technology, and trade, state-run Pakistan Television reported.

Çavuşoğlu said the Turkish people have a special place in hearts of Pakistani people as Ankara and Islamabad have always stood together in challenging times.

The two nations, he added, will continue to cooperate on all regional and international issues.

Ismail, for his part, thanked Ankara for its longstanding support for Islamabad on Kashmir issues, as well as the ongoing cooperation for development of health, education, housing, culture, and other sectors in Pakistan.