TO THE TURKISH GRAND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
7TH DECEMBER 2010
Honourable Mehmet Ali Sahin ( pronounced as: Shaheen), Speaker
of the Turkish Grand National Assembly
H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdogan (pronounced as: Rajab Tayyab Erdo aan),
Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey
Distinguished Members of the Turkish Grand National Assembly,
Assalam-o-Alaikum,
I feel honoured and privileged to address this august house today. The Turkish Grand National Assembly
since its inauguration 90 years ago has been a symbol of modern Turkey’s path to greatness. This elegant building and its distinguished occupants embody the hopes and aspirations of 72 million proud Turkish people.
As an elected representative myself, I fully recognize the importance of today’s historic event and gratefully acknowledge this special honour bestowed upon me.
Mr. Speaker,
I am equally grateful to His Excellency President Abdullah Gul and the government of Turkey for conferment of the prestigious ‘Jumhuriyet Nishan’. I feel honoured to receive this award.
I have come to Turkey at a time when my country has been hit by a natural calamity of an unprecedented scale. The worst floods in our history have affected over 20 million Pakistanis.
Mr. Speaker,
In this tragic disaster, our resolve was strengthened, our spirits were lifted and our hopes were revived by the extra ordinary solidarity, support and generosity shown by the people of Turkey.
The warm feelings of amity and concern were expressed across the length and breadth of Turkey. From the Turkish children to the highest leadership; from the young student from Konya who donated her doll and her entire pocket money to the retired old man who gave away his entire pension. We were touched.
Heart warming episodes have etched an indelible mark in our memories. They are yet another confirmation of the special relations between our two people. I, therefore, stand here today overwhelmed. Mr. Speaker, through you and this august house I wish to convey to the people of Turkey, sincere thanks and profound gratitude of the entire Pakistani nation.
Mr. Speaker,
Turkish civilizational imprint runs deep. From the heartland of Europe to the Steppes of Central Asia. From the banks of the Indus to the deserts of Arabia, Turkish culture and customs, languages and literature, ideas and ethos have defined golden eras. Turkish people and civilization has contributed immensely to mankind’s march across new frontiers of thought and action, new vistas of spirituality and science. Since time immemorial the great Turkish people have made great conquests, founded grand empires and scored historic achievements in every field of human endeavour.
Our cultures and civilizations have germinated from centuries of intense mutually enriching interplay. We are proud heirs to a profound common heritage.
No wonder then that Pakistan-Turkey relations are so special. It is a relationship predating our modern States, an affinity transcending generations. Our people’s affection for Turkey is spontaneous, their love, deep and sincere. Words perhaps can do scant justice to this mutual affinity and abiding affection, integral to our identity and existence.
There may be a distance of thousand miles between Jinnah Jadesi in Ankara and Ataturk Avenue in Islamabad, but there are no spaces between our hearts. We are One Nation living in Two States.
The resonance of Prime Minister Erdogan’s address to Pakistan parliament last year is still fresh in our minds. Mr. Prime Minister as you had mentioned at that time, we also value these time tested bonds and the extensive cooperation which we have in the fields of trade, commerce, defence and security, energy, infrastructure development, education and culture.
Pakistan wishes to take these relations to an even higher plane. We aim to transform our special relations with Turkey into an enhanced twenty-first century partnership in the political, security, economic and cultural domains.
I look forward to co-chairing with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan the inaugural session of the High Level Cooperation Council (HLCC) this evening. I am confident the HLCC will prove an effective forum to achieve our shared objective.
The first meeting of the HLCC will focus on giving a fresh impetus to our economic relations and translate our excellent political relations into more tangible gains in the trade, investment and commercial fields for mutual benefit of our people. I am confident that we shall far exceed the target of two billion dollars bilateral trade by 2012, the target set by Prime Minister Erdogan and myself last year.
Mr. Speaker,
The collaboration between our two Parliaments is also vital for our two democracies. There is, therefore, a need to intensify cooperation through regular exchange of parliamentary delegations. Here, I would especially like to acknowledge the excellent role played by the strong Pakistan-Turkey Parliamentary Friendship Group led by energetic Mr. Burhan Kayaturk for forging closer linkages between our two Parliaments.
Mr. Speaker,
I congratulate Turkey for embarking upon a comprehensive constitutional reform process for strengthening its democratic institutions. I admire the Turkish leadership for evolving a national consensus on this important issue.
We also greatly admire the spectacular achievements made by Turkey under the dynamic leadership of President Gul and Prime Minister Erdogan. We are indeed proud that Turkey today stands tall in the global arena and is widely respected for its valuable contributions to regional and global peace and development. We in Pakistan rejoice in your successes. We regard your strength as our strength.
In Pakistan also, my government, through a landmark Constitutional Amendment Bill which enjoyed support of all political parties represented in the parliament, has started a reform process in accordance with the priorities and aspirations of the people of Pakistan. The supremacy of the Parliament has been restored.
We remain committed to the ideals of democracy, freedom of expression and protection of fundamental human rights, and the creation of a just welfare society as envisioned by our founding fathers.
Mr. Speaker,
Pakistan’s strategic priority is of course socioeconomic development. We have undertaken a process of far reaching economic reforms. We are also engaged in promoting intra-regional and trans-regional development cooperation. The central theme of that runs through our foreign policy. Indeed the format of the HLCC is to develop win-win scenarios and strong economic and trade partnerships with Turkey.
I look forward to my meetings with the Turkish business community in Istanbul to explore trade and investment opportunities and to discuss strengthening of economic relations.
Mr. Speaker,
Pakistan is today facing the threat of terrorism and extremism. Our citizens and valiant soldiers have rendered countless sacrifices in this fight against terrorism. Even our leader and former Prime Minister late Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto lost her life in a senseless terrorist act. She was a brave woman who never flinched in her struggle against these obscure and evil forces. She said and I quote:
“We are prepared to risk our lives, but we are not prepared to surrender this great nation to militants”
Terrorism is a phenomenon that knows neither faith nor frontier. In our region, it has roots in the cold war dynamics of the last century. Its reach is both global and regional. No State can address the menace alone. Nor will military means suffice. Confronting it requires a concerted, comprehensive and coordinated approach by the international community.
Mr. Speaker,
The Islamic world which was once known and admired for its achievements is today confronted with numerous challenges. Together, we need to embark on a journey of Renaissance – a journey for socioeconomic uplift of our masses.
Mr. Speaker,
The people of Pakistan and Turkey have stood shoulder to shoulder since their existence. We have taken united stand in our independence struggles and have helped each other whenever natural catastrophes have befallen on our countries. We rejoice in our successes and share our sorrows.
The spiritual bond between Maulana Rum and Allama Iqbal epitomizes the essence of our relationship. It is said that the Allama did not choose Rumi as his Master. It was the Master who chose the disciple.
These two great thinkers who lived centuries apart, shared a common thread of spiritualism. Rumi lived at a time when the Muslim world was traumatized by Mongols while Iqbal witnessed the awakening of colonized masses.
The essence of their message was identical: Learn to see and think in a new way. A timeless prescription for rebirth and renewal; an elixir for our times.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to end with a verse from Iqbal who was the spiritual heir in many ways to Mevlana Rumi:
Fard qaim rabt-e- millat se hai tanha kuch nahi
Moj hai darya main berune darya kuch nahi
(we are strong as long as we are part of a nation, just like a wave which cannot survive out of ocean)
Thank you, Tashakkurlar.
Yashasin Pakistan-Turk Dostlou
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