Address by H.E. Abdullah Gül at the Offical Banquet in Honor of H.E. Asıf Ali Zardari, President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan

Dear Brother, President Zardari,

Distinguished Guests,

I am very pleased to welcome Your Excellency and the distinguished members of your delegation to Turkey, your second home.

The most prominent feature of the deep-rooted and unique relationship between Turkey and Pakistan is that it has been espoused not only by the two governments but also by the two peoples.

Our common culture creates bonds between Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi and Muhammad Iqbal, and then binds Iqbal to our national poet Mehmet Akif Ersoy.

I personally witnessed the most concrete examples of this lively sentiment and the heartfelt hospitality of the Pakistani people during my visit last year. Pakistan has a special place in the hearts of the Turkish people too.

Mr. President, Esteemed Friend,

We are following closely the efforts for democratization in Pakistan with great interest. Despite all the difficulties, important steps are being taken under Your Excellency’s able leadership. Success of the political and military measures depends on the elimination of the root causes of radicalism and extremism, which terrorism feeds upon.  

Dear Brother, Mr. President,

We, in our hearts, vividly cherish the historical memories of Turkish-Pakistani solidarity and brotherhood. However, our goal should not only be commemorating this invaluable and unprecedented friendship but also pass our common heritage to the next generations in a more dynamic and vibrant way. Therefore, we have to strengthen our cooperation in every field.

As a matter of fact, with their geostrategic locations and young and dynamic populations, the potential for cooperation between Turkey and Pakistan is immense.

In this respect, I believe that furthering our commercial and economic relations should be given utmost priority. We should resolutely continue to strive for attaining the target of 2 billion Dollars worth of bilateral trade by the end of 2012. We should also eliminate barriers before our companies in order to carry our cooperation in construction, energy, transportation and defense industry sectors even further.

To this end, we must, first and foremost, intensify and diversify the means of transportation between our two countries.

In this context, the initiation of Istanbul-Islamabad railroad link is a development most welcomed. We should take all the necessary steps to make it a reliable railroad link for container and cargo transport as early as possible. Furthermore, the frequency and route diversity of flights between the two countries should also be enhanced.

We should not forget that while reinforcing the Turkish-Pakistani friendship and brotherhood, broadening the means of transport will at the same time contribute to the welfare of our peoples.

Mr. President, Distinguished Guests,

We are pleased to witness that the Trilateral Summit process which we commenced together in 2007 has started yielding tangible results.

“Turkey-Afghanistan-Pakistan Military Live Exercise on Urban Warfare” was held successfully in Istanbul last month on the basis of the decision taken at the last Trilateral Summit. Furthermore, a table-top Disaster Response Simulation Exercise will be held with the participation of experts from the three countries in October.

I believe that all these activities contribute greatly to reconstitution of confidence between the parties, which was lacked the most four years ago when we first started this process.

My Dear Friend,

Your first official bilateral visit to Turkey as the President of Pakistan is a source of great happiness and excitement for us. I believe that you will proudly wear the Order of State of the Republic of Turkey, which shines brightly on your chest today, as a symbol of the eternal friendship between Turkish and Pakistani peoples.

With these feelings and thoughts, I extent my best wishes for Your Excellency’s personal health and happiness as well as peace and prosperity of the friendly and brotherly people of Pakistan.

Thank you.