ANKARA:
20 April 2017: Ambassador of Pakistan Sohail Mahmood hosted a reception at
Pakistan House to celebrate the conferment of the prestigious civil award,
“Sitar-e-Imtiaz”, upon Prof. Dr. Halil Toker, in recognition of his services
for the promotion of Urdu language and literature in Turkey and strengthening
Pakistan-Turkey cultural cooperation.
The
President of Pakistan had conferred the Award on Prof. Dr. Halil Toker during
the special Investiture ceremony held at Aiwan-e-Sadr in Islamabad on 23 March
2017.
Prof.
Dr. Halil Toker is the Chairman of the Department of Urdu at Istanbul
University.
Addressing
guests at the reception, Ambassador Sohail Mahmood lauded the invaluable
services and contributions of Prof. Dr. Halil Toker, spanning over 30 years. He
noted that Prof. Dr. Halil Toker was a distinguished writer, poet, and a man of
letters having written close to 50 books and contributed over 200 articles on a
wide range of subjects. Through his writings, Halil Toker had not only
highlighted the contacts between the Muslims of South Asia and Ottoman Turkey
but also effectively helped promote the Urdu language as one of the eternal
bonds between Pakistan and Turkey. The Ambassador also appreciated Halil
Toker’s tremendous work in organizing an International Seminar in October 2015,
celebrating 100 years of teaching of Urdu in Turkey. Notably, the Government of
Pakistan had issued a special commemorative postal stamp on that occasion.
Ambassador
Sohail Mahmood also highlighted the growing cultural collaboration between
Pakistan and Turkey. He particularly commended the Turkish Government’s recent
decision to commence the teaching of Urdu as an Elective subject in High
Schools in Turkey. He added that the Embassy of Pakistan was in the process of
organizing a variety of events as part of celebration of 2017 as the “70th year
of Pakistan-Turkey Diplomatic Relations.” The annual “Chughtai Art Awards” and
“Jinnah Young Writers Awards” will continue to be held, he said.
Prof. Dr. Halil Toker, in his remarks, thanked
the Government of Pakistan for the conferment of this prestigious award on him.
He also reiterated the resolve to continue his efforts for the promotion of
Urdu and bilateral cultural cooperation.
The
heads and representatives of various cultural institutions in Turkey, faculty
members of Urdu Departments of Ankara and Istanbul Universities, graduates of
Pakistani Universities in Turkey, and members of Pakistani community attended
the event.
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