Turkish state bodies vow to continue aid to Pakistan

By Meltem Bulur

ANKARA

Turkey will boost economic relations with Pakistan and contribute to the country in several areas, including construction, health, education and humanitarian aid, Turkish organizations said Tuesday.

According to statements from the Presidency for Turks and Related Communities (YTB), Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) and the Yunus Emre Institute, several projects have been completed in Pakistan and many others remain ongoing.

The YTB runs several cultural and academic projects in Pakistan, while the Yunus Emre Institute plans to operate two offices in the Pakistani cities of Lahore and Karachi from 2017. The center will also provide a Pakistani university with academics for the next two years as part of its “Turkish language learning program,” which was signed last year.

Since the inception of its office in the capital Islamabad in 2010, TIKA has increasingly supplied humanitarian aid to the country every year.

The amount of aid has increased to $610,000 in 2015 from $55,000 in 2010. The official developmental aid was edged to $2 million in total, the agency said.

TIKA is more focused on the urgent needs of Pakistan. In 2014, the largest hospital in the region was built in the country after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Pakistan.

Pakistan and Turkey have a strong political relationship, which is deeply rooted in their common faith and shared history.

In recent years, the Pakistani-Turkish defense industrial relationship has continued to deepen, with more bilateral projects undertaken, especially after Turkey successfully modernized Pakistan’s F-16 fighters between 2010 and 2014.

On June 10, the Turkish firm ASELSAN signed a contract with the Pakistani Air Force to integrate its ASELPOD – a high-performance electro-optical reconnaissance, surveillance, and targeting system designed specifically for fighter aircraft – onto its airborne platforms.

Turkish Ambassador to Islamabad Sadik Babur Girgin told Anadolu Ageny Tuesday a free trade agreement between Turkey and Pakistan would be ready for signing in December.

He also added Turkey was planning to invest in solar and wind power sectors.

Erdogan is expected to visit Pakistan between Wednesday and Thursday on the invitation of Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain.

The Turkish president has visited Pakistan on a number of occasions. This will be his second visit to the country since he became the president in August 2014. He will be accompanied by a high-level entourage, including ministers and senior officials, as well as a large business delegation, the statement said.

Besides meeting his Pakistani counterpart, Erdogan will hold talks with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on a host of bilateral issues, as well as regional and international issues.

Erdogan is also scheduled to address a joint session of the Pakistani parliament. Pakistani president will also host a banquet in honor of the distinguished Turkish guest and his entourage. Erdogan will also travel to Lahore, where the prime minister will host a banquet in his honor at the Shahi Fort.