14 August 2018•Update: 15 August 2018
By Kubra Chohan
ANKARA
The Pakistani Embassy in capital Ankara organized its fourth annual mango festival on Tuesday evening, leaving many with a desire to eat more of the "king of fruits".
Several mango varieties had been flown in from Pakistan for the event.
Speaking at the festival, Pakistani Ambassador Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi said: “We have been hosting this mango festival for four years now and each time it is better than before.
“To us Pakistanis, mango is not only a fruit but is also an integral part of our history and rich culture.”
He added that Pakistan is the fifth-largest producer of mangoes in the world, and the sixth-largest exporter. He also expressed the wish to bring mangoes to the Turkish market.
In his remarks, ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party's Gaziantep deputy and Turkey-Pakistan Interparliamentary Friendship Group Chairman Ali Sahin extended his gratitude to Pakistani Prime Minister-in-waiting Imran Khan for expressing support for Turkey.
“The world is being reshaped in terms of economy and politics,” Sahin said.
“A lot of blood was spilled in the past century. Many wars have passed. We have to build the next century as a year of compassion,” he said.
Earlier, Imran Khan said that Pakistan is praying for Turkey’s success in dealing with the severe economic challenges confronting it.
The most popular kind of mango among the 110 -- White Chaunsa -- was served to the guests, as well as several mango-based food and desserts, and samples of the Pakistani cuisine.
Several photographs of Pakistan were also displayed, accompanied by traditional Pakistan music, at the event.
Some participants won a box of mangoes from a raffle at the end of the festival, which was held on Pakistan's Independence Day.
