Pakistan is not made of bullets and guns alone: Turkish C-G

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Pakistan is not made of bullets and guns alone: Turkish C-G

Thursday, April 22, 2010
By Shahid Husain

Karachi

Consul-General of Turkey in Karachi Fethi said on Wednesday that Pakistan was not made of bullets and guns alone but has a glorious civilisation to be cherished by the people of the country.

“We have to promote the idea that Pakistan is not made of bullets and guns alone but it is also the inheritor of one of the biggest civilisations,” he said

He made the remark at the Sindh Assembly building, where Sindh Minister for Tourism Shazia Marri addressed a news conference and revealed that some top photographers of Turkey and Pakistan would document the Pakistani culture in the form of a book that would be exhibited at Frere Hall on May 22. An exhibition in this regard would also be held in Turkey.

A team of top photographers from turkey is visiting Pakistan these days and documenting the cultural sites of Sindh along with distinguished photographers from Pakistan and the entire expenses have been borne by the Turkish Embassy in Pakistan.

“I must say that amongst brothers and sisters there is no question of money,” Fethi said. “Our relationship can be defined by love that is mutual. Culturally, our links goes back to 12th century and even back,” he said.

He said though Turkey was not the main player in tourism, 24 million tourists visit the country every year. Amongst them about 7,000 were Pakistanis, he said.

“In order to get tourists, you have to introduce your country,” he said. “I hope we will do a good job in promoting Sindh.”

Earlier, Marri said the relationship between Pakistan and Turkey goes back to the Khilafat Movement and it was being consolidated after a democratic era ushered in Pakistan.

She said that Pakistan and Turkey have economic, cultural and religious links and “we get lots of love in Turkey”. She said that today the world was going through a “war of perception” and “if we get love from Turkey, it’s a big achievement”.

She said that the project comprising some of the top photographers from Pakistan and Turkey would create a profile of Sindh from a “foreign perspective” and would help erase the negative image of Pakistan.

She said that the C-G of Turkey understood what “we wanted and extended every kind of cooperation”.

“Today, tourism is not only revenue generation but also a means to undo the negative image of Pakistan,” Marri said.

“We have to identify ourselves- the identification of peace and love and we have to carry it forward.”

Pakistan is not made of bullets and guns alone: Turkish C-G