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“One Nation – Two States” is the phrase that best describes the relations between Turkey and Pakistan. There is no parallel of such interstate relations anywhere. Relations between the two peoples started in the early twenties during the Turkish War of Independence. Formal relations between the two countries have been in existence for the last 63 years, since Pakistan came into being on Aug. 14, 1947 as a result of relentless political struggle spearheaded by Mr. Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
Relations between both the countries are deeply rooted in history. The Muslims of South Asia, now the people of Pakistan, had always kept the cause of freedom and independence of their Turkish brethren as their very own sacred cause. The support and solidarity extended by the Muslims of South Asia to Turkey’s national war of independence is embedded deep in the collective memory of the Turkish people. The people of Pakistan also perceive it as a part of their own independence movement. Muslims of the sub-continent rejoiced over the victory of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father and the first governor general of Pakistan, showed an immense appreciation for Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. On the occasion of the presentation of credentials by the first Turkish Ambassador to Pakistan on March 4, 1948, Jinnah said, “the progress of your revolution, the rise and career of the great Atatürk, his revitalization of your nation by his great statesmanship, courage and foresight, are well known to the people of Pakistan.” Jinnah talked so much about Atatürk at home that his young daughter, Dina Wadia, started calling him (Jinnah) Grey Wolf, the name of Armstrong’s famous book on Mustafa Kemal.
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, another great Pakistani statesman, was also a great admirer of Mustafa Kemal. When he visited his mausoleum in Ankara he was so impressed with the changing of the guard ceremony at Atatürk’s mausoleum that Bhutto introduced a similar ceremony at the Quaid’s mazar in Karachi, which remains in place to this day.
Pakistanis rate Atatürk very highly among the Muslim leaders, on par with their own leader and founding father Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Pakistan has named one major road after him in Islamabad called “Atatürk Avenue.” Similarly, Faisal Mosque, the largest mosque in all of South Asia, is the work of famous Turkish architect, Vedat Dalokay, an ex-mayor of Ankara.
Over the last 63 years, Pakistan has transformed itself into a stable state enjoying immense regional influence. The economy has been strengthened. Despite the challenges of terrorism and global recession, the World Bank report “Doing Business in 2010” declared Pakistan to be the number one country for doing business in South Asia. Such is the case with Turkey as well. To our happiness and admiration, Turkey has also achieved tremendous progress on the economic front. It has achieved economic stabilization over the last decade and its economy grew at a higher rate than regional competitors.
The manifold commonalties between the two countries have been reinforced by the firm resolve of our leadership to further deepen mutual cooperation in all fields. During the visit of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to Pakistan in September-October 2009, the two countries signed a Joint Declaration establishing a High Level Cooperation Council, or HLCC, jointly chaired by the two prime ministers. The HLCC is required to meet annually, in each country, to discuss and review trade and economic cooperation. The first meeting of the Turkey-Pakistan CEOs forum was also held during this visit.
While the two countries have enjoyed excellent political relations for more than six decades, unfortunately these historic ties have not translated into strong commercial and economic cooperation. Current volume of bilateral trade is about $780 million which does not match the excellent political and cultural relationship. However, now both Pakistan and Turkey are committed to enhancing bilateral trade to $2 billion by the year 2012. An obvious reason for low trade volume is that transportation facilities between Turkey and Pakistan are inadequate and there is a need to improve road and rail links. One such step in this direction is the initiation of a cargo train service between Pakistan and Turkey, with a train leaving Pakistan on Aug. 12, scheduled to reach Istanbul within a fortnight.
There exists enormous scope and desire for enhancing cooperation in economy, trade, tourism and science and technology. The two countries are endowed with vast natural resources and have pools of scientific and skilled work forces. The leaders of both Pakistan and Turkey have agreed on initiating joint projects in the fields of energy, infrastructure development, housing agro-based industries, and information and communication technologies. This seems to be a perfect match for both the countries keeping in view their technological advancements.
Envious to many spectators of the global scenario is the unanimity of views that both the countries have on regional and international issues. Turkey has always supported Pakistan’s standpoint on Kashmir i.e. a free and fair plebiscite under the supervision of the U.N. as specified in the U.N. Security Council resolutions on Kashmir. While on the other side, Pakistan has been fully supportive of Turkey’s stance vis-à-vis Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. In fact, Pakistan was the only country in the world to support Turkey on its intervention in Northern Cyprus in 1974. Pakistan also supports Turkish initiative to resolve Iranian nuclear issue as it recognizes the right of every state to have access to nuclear technology for civilian use remaining within the safeguards of IAEA and keeping in view NPT obligations.
During the time of hardships and calamities, Turkey and Pakistan find greatest strength in themselves. Recent floods, which are the worst in Pakistan’s history, have made millions homeless. Turkey was the first country to send a huge plane load of relief goods and Prime Minister Erdoğan offered $ 5 million assistance in cash to help alleviate the sufferings of the flood affectees. Turkey was also the first country to offer rescue, relief and rehabilitation services to Pakistan after the 2005 earthquake. Pakistan has also reciprocated the same whenever our Turkish brethren are in distress.
To speak my mind, peoples of both the countries are quite emotional about each other. Progress made by one country makes the other proud. Same level of development, or even better level, is wished for the other. I was amazed to note one comment by a Pakistani of Turkish origin: “We should think about a dual citizenship system whereby a Turkish citizen is automatically a Pakistani citizen and vice versa.” Some refer to Turkey as Pakistan with a red flag while others will refer to Pakistan as Turkey with a green flag. We are truly “One Nation and Two States.”
Governments would come and go, policies and priorities may change, international diplomacy could take any course, but the love and affection of Turkish and Pakistani people for each other will grow deeper, affecting the socio-cultural and economic ties for mutual benefit.
Concluding, I, on my own behalf and on behalf of the People and Government of Pakistan, extend my greetings and warm felicitations to the Turkish nation on the forthcoming Victory Day.
Love live Pak-Turk friendship!
Ambassador Tariq Azizuddin is Pakistan’s envoy to The Republic of Turkey.
 Get the pearl, if you dare - Hurriyet Daily News and Economic Review ... 2010-08-13
Turkish Defence Forum • View topic - ?One Nation ? Two States.? 63 years of Pakistan independence
Relations between both the countries are deeply rooted in history. The Muslims of South Asia, now the people of Pakistan, had always kept the cause of freedom and independence of their Turkish brethren as their very own sacred cause. The support and solidarity extended by the Muslims of South Asia to Turkey’s national war of independence is embedded deep in the collective memory of the Turkish people. The people of Pakistan also perceive it as a part of their own independence movement. Muslims of the sub-continent rejoiced over the victory of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father and the first governor general of Pakistan, showed an immense appreciation for Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. On the occasion of the presentation of credentials by the first Turkish Ambassador to Pakistan on March 4, 1948, Jinnah said, “the progress of your revolution, the rise and career of the great Atatürk, his revitalization of your nation by his great statesmanship, courage and foresight, are well known to the people of Pakistan.” Jinnah talked so much about Atatürk at home that his young daughter, Dina Wadia, started calling him (Jinnah) Grey Wolf, the name of Armstrong’s famous book on Mustafa Kemal.
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, another great Pakistani statesman, was also a great admirer of Mustafa Kemal. When he visited his mausoleum in Ankara he was so impressed with the changing of the guard ceremony at Atatürk’s mausoleum that Bhutto introduced a similar ceremony at the Quaid’s mazar in Karachi, which remains in place to this day.
Pakistanis rate Atatürk very highly among the Muslim leaders, on par with their own leader and founding father Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Pakistan has named one major road after him in Islamabad called “Atatürk Avenue.” Similarly, Faisal Mosque, the largest mosque in all of South Asia, is the work of famous Turkish architect, Vedat Dalokay, an ex-mayor of Ankara.
Over the last 63 years, Pakistan has transformed itself into a stable state enjoying immense regional influence. The economy has been strengthened. Despite the challenges of terrorism and global recession, the World Bank report “Doing Business in 2010” declared Pakistan to be the number one country for doing business in South Asia. Such is the case with Turkey as well. To our happiness and admiration, Turkey has also achieved tremendous progress on the economic front. It has achieved economic stabilization over the last decade and its economy grew at a higher rate than regional competitors.
The manifold commonalties between the two countries have been reinforced by the firm resolve of our leadership to further deepen mutual cooperation in all fields. During the visit of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to Pakistan in September-October 2009, the two countries signed a Joint Declaration establishing a High Level Cooperation Council, or HLCC, jointly chaired by the two prime ministers. The HLCC is required to meet annually, in each country, to discuss and review trade and economic cooperation. The first meeting of the Turkey-Pakistan CEOs forum was also held during this visit.
While the two countries have enjoyed excellent political relations for more than six decades, unfortunately these historic ties have not translated into strong commercial and economic cooperation. Current volume of bilateral trade is about $780 million which does not match the excellent political and cultural relationship. However, now both Pakistan and Turkey are committed to enhancing bilateral trade to $2 billion by the year 2012. An obvious reason for low trade volume is that transportation facilities between Turkey and Pakistan are inadequate and there is a need to improve road and rail links. One such step in this direction is the initiation of a cargo train service between Pakistan and Turkey, with a train leaving Pakistan on Aug. 12, scheduled to reach Istanbul within a fortnight.
There exists enormous scope and desire for enhancing cooperation in economy, trade, tourism and science and technology. The two countries are endowed with vast natural resources and have pools of scientific and skilled work forces. The leaders of both Pakistan and Turkey have agreed on initiating joint projects in the fields of energy, infrastructure development, housing agro-based industries, and information and communication technologies. This seems to be a perfect match for both the countries keeping in view their technological advancements.
Envious to many spectators of the global scenario is the unanimity of views that both the countries have on regional and international issues. Turkey has always supported Pakistan’s standpoint on Kashmir i.e. a free and fair plebiscite under the supervision of the U.N. as specified in the U.N. Security Council resolutions on Kashmir. While on the other side, Pakistan has been fully supportive of Turkey’s stance vis-à-vis Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. In fact, Pakistan was the only country in the world to support Turkey on its intervention in Northern Cyprus in 1974. Pakistan also supports Turkish initiative to resolve Iranian nuclear issue as it recognizes the right of every state to have access to nuclear technology for civilian use remaining within the safeguards of IAEA and keeping in view NPT obligations.
During the time of hardships and calamities, Turkey and Pakistan find greatest strength in themselves. Recent floods, which are the worst in Pakistan’s history, have made millions homeless. Turkey was the first country to send a huge plane load of relief goods and Prime Minister Erdoğan offered $ 5 million assistance in cash to help alleviate the sufferings of the flood affectees. Turkey was also the first country to offer rescue, relief and rehabilitation services to Pakistan after the 2005 earthquake. Pakistan has also reciprocated the same whenever our Turkish brethren are in distress.
To speak my mind, peoples of both the countries are quite emotional about each other. Progress made by one country makes the other proud. Same level of development, or even better level, is wished for the other. I was amazed to note one comment by a Pakistani of Turkish origin: “We should think about a dual citizenship system whereby a Turkish citizen is automatically a Pakistani citizen and vice versa.” Some refer to Turkey as Pakistan with a red flag while others will refer to Pakistan as Turkey with a green flag. We are truly “One Nation and Two States.”
Governments would come and go, policies and priorities may change, international diplomacy could take any course, but the love and affection of Turkish and Pakistani people for each other will grow deeper, affecting the socio-cultural and economic ties for mutual benefit.
Concluding, I, on my own behalf and on behalf of the People and Government of Pakistan, extend my greetings and warm felicitations to the Turkish nation on the forthcoming Victory Day.
Love live Pak-Turk friendship!
Ambassador Tariq Azizuddin is Pakistan’s envoy to The Republic of Turkey.
 Get the pearl, if you dare - Hurriyet Daily News and Economic Review ... 2010-08-13
Turkish Defence Forum • View topic - ?One Nation ? Two States.? 63 years of Pakistan independence
