ISTANBUL
A cultural night was held Tuesday in the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Türkiye.
After beginning with the playing of Türkiye and Pakistan’s national anthems, the program continued with a performance by Turkish musicians.
Speaking at the event, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Türkiye Yousaf Junaid pointed out that Türkiye and Pakistan are two countries that established relations not only 75 years ago but have a history that dates back more than 600 years.
“We have a history of brotherhood. It’s not based on any material gains. It’s not based on any benefits to be derived from each other. It is based on a boundless love which has no frontiers, which has no boundaries,” said Junaid.
Touching on the two countries’ support for each other during hard times even though they are not neighbors and are “thousands of miles away,” the envoy said it is “because the bond is traditional, it’s cultural, it’s spiritual and it’s religious.”
Meanwhile, Turkish singer Ersin Faikzade, who performed songs in Turkish, Persian and Arabic at the event, said he had travelled across the world but had never seen brotherhood like this.
Faikzade also recalled Pakistan’s support for Türkiye during the Turkish War of Independence, underlining its importance.
The event ended after Pakistani Qawwali singers took the stage to sing traditional songs in their native dress.
Qawwali music is Sufi-Islamic devotional music.
Relations between the two countries have developed on the basis of close friendship and brotherhood since the establishment of Pakistan as an independent state on Aug. 14, 1947. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Ankara and Islamabad.
The support extended by the Muslims of the subcontinent to the Turkish War of Independence has a special place in the minds of the Turkish people. Türkiye’s success in establishing a modern state after the war has been a source of inspiration for the Pakistani people.
Following the establishment of Pakistan, reciprocal high-level visits developed friendly relations further, while the two countries’ support for each other in getting through the most difficult challenges such as at times of natural disasters led to a deepening of close relations between the peoples.
