President of Pakistan confers Pakistan's highest military award upon Chief of Turkish General Staff

ISLAMABAD; November 20, 2019: President of Pakistan Dr. Arif Alvi has conferred Nishan-i-Imtiaz (Military) upon Chief of General Staff of Turkish Armed Forces, General Yasar Guler, in a special investiture ceremony at Aiwan-e-Sadr, Islamabad on Wednesday. Later General Yasar Guler along with his delegation, called on the President. On the occasion, the President felicitated him and said that Pakistan and Turkey enjoyed an unparalleled fraternal relationship embedded in a shared cultural and religious heritage, which had now transformed into a strong strategic partnership over the years and is growing stronger. He said that the English TV channel to be collaboratively launched by Pakistan, Turkey, and Malaysia would go a long way to combat Islamophobia on international level.

The President said that Pakistan and Turkey had supported each other in difficult times and appreciated Turkish support on Kashmir issue, particularly in United Nations. He reiterated Pakistan’s concern on Indian Army atrocities perpetrated on innocent people of Jammu & Kashmir especially after revoking of Article 370 and 35-A in August 2019 by the Government of India.  He also highlighted the ongoing Indian activities and human rights violations in occupied Kashmir and emphasized that the international community should play a positive role to resolve the Kashmir issue in accordance with UN Resolution. The President said that the two countries would continue to support each other on all fora. 

He highlighted that our defense collaboration, marked by frequent high-level exchanges, had increased manifold. He emphasized that we should explore ways to further strengthen relations in this critical area. He also appreciated Turkish government’s support to Pakistan on Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), FATF and its position on UN Security Council reforms. 


The President said that the bilateral trade between the two countries was not commensurate with the true potential. He stressed that there was a vast potential for investment in Pakistan especially in energy, infrastructure and food processing sector. He underlined that Turkish investments in Pakistan had considerably grown, however, more needed to be done to realize the full bilateral trade potential.

General Yasar Guler said that Turkey fully supported Pakistan on Kashmir issue and expressed hope that India and Pakistan would resolve the issue in accordance with UN resolutions. He further said that Turkey would continue to support Pakistan.

President AJK briefs Turkish dignitaries about deteriorating situation in Kashmir, lauds Turkish support

ANKARA, 23 November 2019: Sardar Masood Khan, President Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK), has said that the people of Jammu & Kashmir and Pakistan will never forget Turkey’s strongest expression of solidarity and its principled stance after India’s illegal steps of 5 August 2019 in the Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IOJ&K).

“The people of Jammu & Kashmir will always remember the strong and unequivocal support of the  Turkish government and people for their just struggle in their  darkest hour”, he said adding  that as, in  a similar manner, the Turkish nation remembers the support extended by the Muslims of South Asia to their Turkish brethren during their War of Independence,” he said. 

President Masood Khan conveyed  these sentiments to  Mr. Cevdet Yilmaz, Vice Chairman  of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and Chairman for Foreign Affairs, who received the AJK President at the AK Party headquarters in Ankara and had a detailed meeting with him. 
 
Pakistan’s Ambassador to Turkey Mr. Muhammad Sajjad Syrus Sajjad Qazi also attended the meeting.

President Masood Khan apprised Mr. Cevdet Yilmaz of the prevailing grave human rights and humanitarian situation in the IOJ&K, expressing deep concern at the continuing blockade imposed by the Indian occupation forces against millions of Kashmiris that has now entered into its 110th consecutive day. He said that the rising tide of right-wing extremism in India in the form of Hindutva ideology was a serious threat to the regional and international peace and security.



The President said that “situation was deteriorating by the day with increased detentions, torture and forced disappearances especially of young boys”. He added that India was trying a false impression to the world that the situation was returning to “normal”. He asked how could the situation be normal after occupation of a disputed territory, disenfranchisement of its people and continuing colonisation. This, he said, was a coloniser’s and an occupier’s logic of “normalcy”.

Mr. Cevdet Yilmaz said that Pakistan and Turkey enjoyed historic ties, and both nations had always stood by one another in the face of all challenges and threats.  Reiterating Turkey’s principled position on the Jammu & Kashmir dispute, Mr. Yilmaz expressed Turkey’s lasting commitment to peace and security in South Asia as well as towards upholding the principles of truth and justice in the international system.


Mr. Yilmaz said that Turkey also had special ties with Jammu and Kashmir. Referring to the statement by President Erdogan at the UN General Assembly, he said that Turkey wanted the Jammu and Kashmir issue  to be resolved peacefully through dialogue in accordance with the wishes of the Kashmiri people, and not through collision and confrontation.

President AJK said that the people of Jammu and Kashmir and  Pakistan too preferred a peaceful and diplomatic resolution of the Kashmir dispute. However, diplomacy could not take place in vacuum, he said, as India was unwilling to engage bilaterally nor multi-laterally. He added that Pakistan supported all international mediation efforts for the resolution of the Jammu & Kashmir dispute, and welcomed Turkey’s role in this regard, including its humanitarian diplomacy initiatives. He also urged decisive and robust action by the members of the UN Security Council to help end the ongoing Indian atrocities in IOJ&K as well as to implement its relevant resolutions that guarantee Kashmiris their inalienable right to self-determination. In this endeavour, Turkey could play the role of a “facilitator and mediator”, he said.

The AJK President invited Mr. Yilmaz and other leaders to the AK Party to visit Azad Kashmir.

Earlier in the day, President Masood Khan visited the Social Sciences University of Ankara and held a meeting with the Rector of the university, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Barca. During the meeting, numerous ideas for enhancing cooperation and collaboration between the public sector universities in AJK and Ankara Social Sciences University came under discussion. The proposal for the establishment of a research center aimed at the resolution of the Jammu & Kashmir dispute was also explored.

The  Rector of Ankara Social Sciences university accepted the President’s invitation  to visit AJK in order to explore new avenues for cooperation in the area of higher education.

President Masood Khan also visited the Mausoleum of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and paid rich tributes to the great leader and founding father of the Turkish Republic. The President and his delegation were also given a guided tour of the mausoleum during which they witnessed various different phases of Turkey’s War of Independence against occupation forces under the dynamic leadership of Ghazi Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

Giving his impressions after the visit, President Masood Khan said that Turkey’s glorious struggle against the forces of colonization and occupation was indeed an inspiration for freedom-loving people across the world, in particular the people of Jammu & Kashmir. He said  that with their indomitable spirit and determination, the people of Jammu and Kashmir  would one day also free themselves from the shackles of Indian colonialism and occupation.

AJK Cumhurbaşkanı Türk Parlamentosunu ve uluslararası öğrencileri Keşmir davasına verdikleri destek ve Hint zorbalığına son vermek istedikleri için övdü

ANKARA, 22 Kasım 2019: Azad Cammu ve Keşmir Cumhurbaşkanı Sardar Masood Khan Türk Parlamentosuna Cammu ve Keşmir meselesinin çözümüne verdiği kararlı destek için teşekkür etti.  Kendisi aynı zamanda Türk Parlamenterlere Hindistan hükümetinin 5 Ağustos 2019'da attığı yasadışı ve tek yanlı adımlar ve bu zamandan beri devam eden güvenlik kuşatması hakkında ciddi endişelerini ifade ettikleri için de teşekkür etti.  Türk Parlamentosunun Keşmir krizinin insani ve insan hakları boyutlarını biliyor diye de ekledi.    

Cumhurbaşkanı bu sözleri Pakistan-Türkiye Dostluk Grubu Başkanı olan tanınmış Türk Parlamenter Ali Şahin'le Türkiye Büyük Millet Meclisindeki görüşmesi sırasında söyledi. 

Bunun yanında Cumhurbaşkanı Erdoğan'a bu yıl Eylül ayında Birleşmiş Milletler Genel Kurulundaki konuşmasında Cammu ve Keşmir meselesini tam olarak ikna olmuş biçimde gündeme getirdiği için teşekkür etti.  “Cammu ve Keşmir ve Pakistan halkları, Keşmirlilerin haklarını dile getirdiği ve bu meseleyi çözmek için çok yönlü diplomasiyi desteklediği için Türk Cumhurbaşkanına ve Türk milletine minnettardır" dedi.   

Ali Sahin Pakistan ve Türkiye'nin güçlü kardeşlik bağlarının keyfini çıkardığını söyledi ve Pakistan-Türkiye Dostluk Derneğinin Başkanı olarak Keşmir halkının çilesini farklı ulusal ve bölgesel forumlarda dile getirmeye devam edeceğini belirtti.   

AJK Cumhurbaşkanı ayrıca Türkiye'ye yüksek düzeyde Türk temsilcilerin ve dünyanın her tarafından uzmanların katıldığı bir toplantıya ev sahipliği yaptığı için de teşekkür etti.  

Kendisi konferanstaki görüşmeler Keşmirlilerin kendi kaderlerini belirleme haklarının gerçekleşmesine, anlaşmazlığın çözümüne ve barışa giden yolları belirlemek için bize rehberlik edecektir dedi.  Cumhurbaşkanı Türkiye'ye Hint İşgalindeki Cammu ve Keşmir'de (İoK) karşılıklı olarak insani diplomasiye devam etmesi ve bir yardımcı ve arabuluculuk rolü oynaması yönündeki teklifini yeniden iletti.  

“Keşmir şu anda dünyanın karşılaştığı en büyük sorundur.  Hint hükümetinin askeri operasyonları ve işgal altındaki bölgede zulüm yapmak için bitmek tükenmek bilmeyen istekleri neo-faşist Hindutva doktrinine dayalıdır, bu doktrin sadece Keşmirlileri değil ama aynı zamanda Pakistanlıları ve Hint Müslümanlarını da tehdit etmektedir" dedi.  

Daha sonra gün içerisinde, Cumhurbaşkanı çeşitli Türk üniversitelerinde okuyan bir grup uluslararası öğrenciye hitap etti.  Bu olaya Asma Köprü Uluslararası Öğrenci derneği ev sahipliği yaptı. 

Cumhurbaşkanı konuşmasında aşağıdaki noktaları vurguladı: 

  1. İslam bir barış dinidir.  Müslümanlar bugün acı çekiyor çünkü bölünmüş durumdalar.  İslam uygarlığı yüzyıllar boyunca kayda değer bir güçtü ama sömürgeleştirme ve sömürgeleştirmeden çıktıktan sonraki siyasi istikrarsızlıklar sebebiyle birleşik gücümüz ortadan kalkmıştır.  
  2. Müslüman milletlerde yeni bir rönesans ve canlanma dönemi başlamıştır ve aramızda işbirliği yeni bir eğilim olmuştur.  Asma Köprü gibi kuruluşlar bu bakımdan tetikleyici bir rol oynamaktadır.  
  3. İoK halkı kimlikleri nedeniyle hedef alınmaktadır.  Buradaki Müslüman nüfus 900,000 Hint işgal gücü askerinin insafına bırakılmıştır, bunlar binlerce kişiyi öldürmekte, kör bırakmakta, gözaltına almakta ve işkence etmektedir.  
  4. Uluslararası topluluk İoK'deki zalimliklerine son vermesi için Hindistan'a ciddi şekilde baskı yapmalıdır. 
  5. Dünyadaki bütün gençlik kendi ulusal parlamentoları aracılığıyla, BM Güvenlik Konseyi, Birleşmiş Milletler Genel Kurulu ve İnsan Hakları Konseyi gibi tüm uluslararası forumlarda kendi parlamenterleri aracılığıyla Keşmir'deki Müslümanlara uygulanan kıyımları durdurmak ve Cammu ve keşmir meselesine siyasi ve diplomatik bir çözüm getirmek için karar alınması için baskı yapmalıdır.  
Cumhurbaşkanı uluslararası medyaya ve parlamenterlere Keşmirlilerin acısını gündeme getirdiği için teşekkür etti. 

Cumhurbaşkanıyla rahat bir etkileşim kuran öğrenciler Keşmir halkının insan haklarının korunması için seslerini yükseltmek ve Keşmir meselesinin Keşmir halkının isteklerine göre çözülmesi için kararlılıklarını belirtmiştir. 

Cumhurbaşkanı aynı zamanda Asma Köprünün Başkanı ve Yönetim Kurulu Üyeleriyle de görüştü.  Başkan ve Kurul Üyeleri Cumhurbaşkanını Pakistan dahil dünyadaki çeşitli ülkelerde bulunan üyeleri tarafından yapılan insani işler hakkında bilgilendirdi.  Kendileri ayrıca Türk üniversitelerinde okuyan gelişmekte olan ülkelerden gelen öğrencileri de desteklemektedir.  

AJK President lauds Turkish Parliament, international students for their support to the Kashmir cause, and end to Indian tyranny

ANKARA, 22 November 2019: Sardar Masood Khan, President Azad Jammu & Kashmir has thanked the Turkish Parliament for its consistent support for the resolution of the Jammu & Kashmir dispute. He also thanked the Turkish Parliamentarians for expressing serious concern over India government’s illegal and unilateral steps of 5 August 2019 and security lockdown since then. The Turkish Parliament, he said, recognizes the humanitarian and human rights dimensions of the Kashmir crisis. 

The President made these remarks during his meeting at the Turkish Grand National Assembly with the renowned Turkish Parliamentarian, Ali Sahin, who is Chairman of Pakistan-Turkey Parliamentary Friendship Group.

He also thanked President Erdogan for raising the Jammu & Kashmir issue with full conviction during his address before the United Nations General Assembly in September this year. “The people of Jammu & Kashmir and Pakistan are beholden to the Turkish President and the Turkish nation for speaking up for the rights of the Kashmiris and supporting multi-lateral diplomacy for resolving this issue,” he said.

Mr. Ali Sahin said that Pakistan and Turkey enjoy strong fraternal bonds and as the Chairman of the Pakistan-Turkey Parliamentary Friendship Association, he would continue to raise the plight of the Kashmiri people at different national and regional forums.

President AJK also thanked Turkey for hosting an international conference on Jammu & Kashmir which was attended by high-level Turkish representatives and attracted expertise from all over the world.

The conference’s deliberations he said, would also guide us in identifying pathways to realization of right-to self-determination of the Kashmiris, conflict resolution and peace. The President reiterated his proposal that Turkey could pursue humanitarian diplomacy vis-à-vis the Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IOJ&K) and play a constructive role as a facilitator and mediator.

“Kashmir is the most serious problem the world is facing today. Indian government’s military operations and insatiable zest for the brutalization of the occupied territory is driven by neo-fascist doctrine of Hindutva which threatens not only the Kashmiris but also Pakistan and Muslims in India,” he said.

Later in the day, the President addressed a group of international students studying at various Turkish universities. The event was hosted by Asma Kopru International Student Association.

The President, in his remarks made the following points:

  1. Islam is a religion of peace. Muslims are suffering today because they are divided. The Muslim civilization was a formidable force for several centuries but because of colonialism and political instability following the de-colonization, their collective strength was undermined. 
  2. New face of renaissance and revival in the Muslim nations had started, and cooperation among them was becoming a new trend. Organizations like Asma Kopru were playing the role of a catalyst in this endeavour.
  3. The people in the IOJ&K were being targeted because of their identity. The Muslim population was at the mercy of the 900,000 Indian occupation forces who were killing, blinding, detaining and torturing thousands of people.
  4. The International community should put critical pressure on India to stop its oppression in IOJ&K.
  5. The youth all around the world should put pressure on all international forums like UN Security Council, United Nations General Assembly and Human Rights Council through national parliaments to take decisions to stop the ongoing carnage of the Muslims in Kashmir, and to explore space for political and diplomatic solution of the Jammu & Kashmir dispute.

The President thanked the international media and parliamentarians for effectively raising the plight of the Kashmiris.

The students who interacted freely with the President expressed their resolve that they would raise their voices for the protection of the human rights of the Kashmiri people and for the resolution of the dispute in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

The President also met the Chairman of the Asma Kopru, and its Board Members. The Chairman and Board Members informed the President regarding the humanitarian work being done by its affiliates in several countries around the world, including Pakistan. They also support international students from developing countries studying at the Turkish universities.


The President commended the valuable work being done by Asma Kopru and its support for the Jammu & Kashmir cause.