Turkey honours Pakistan Ambassador with medal of distinguished services

Family photo of Turkish Foreign Minister and Pakistan Ambassador to Turkey after
presentation of Distinguished Service Award, Ankara, 26 December 2014.

ANKARA, 26 December 2014: In recognition of his services for promoting Turkey-Pakistan relations, Turkish Foreign Minister Mr.  Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu here today at an impressive ceremony presented medal of distinguished services to the outgoing Ambassador of Pakistan Mr. Muhammad Haroon Shaukat. Senior officials of Turkish Foreign Ministry including Deputy Foreign Minister as well as officers of Pakistan Embassy attended the event.

In his speech, the Turkish Foreign Minister said that the brotherly relations of Pakistan and Turkey predate the existence of our present States. He offered condolences over the loss of innocent lives in the tragic Peshawar terrorist attack. He said grief of Pakistan is Turkey’s grief and progress of Pakistan is Turkey’s progress. He hoped that the next meeting of High Level Strategic Cooperation Council meeting will soon take place in Pakistan where the leadership of Turkey and Pakistan shall take further steps to boost economic and commercial ties. Mr. Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu acknowledged the efforts of Ambassador Haroon Shaukat and lauded his services for further promoting Turkey-Pakistan ties.

Ambassador Haroon Shaukat in his speech said: “I feel deeply honored and privileged to receive the most valued Award of Distinguished Services by His Excellency the Minister for Foreign Affairs. During my nearly three and a half years of stay in this wonderful, brotherly and friendly country, I made my best efforts to enhance the trajectory of our exemplary bilateral relations, especially in the economic and commercial domain. Being an Ambassador of Pakistan in Turkey is an exceptional privilege and a huge honor. Turkey is our second home. No two countries share each other’s happiness and sorrows as Turkey and Pakistan. What make this relationship truly special is the deep rooted bonds in the two peoples. We stayed in Turkey at exceptionally important times.

Turkey, under the dynamic leadership of President Recep Tayyap Erdogan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has achieved a true economic miracle, has set high standards of people friendly social welfare. It has been our endeavor to learn from Turkey’s best practices.”

Ambassador Haroon Shaukat said Pakistan too, under the distinguished leadership of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif stands at the threshold of a defining moment of political stability, peace, harmony, rapid socio economic development and wellbeing of its people.  At this critical time, Turkey is indeed Pakistan’s most valued and trusted strategic partner in every domain, he added.