Pakistan will continue to support Türkiye in the efforts to safeguard the rights of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Pakistan’s Ambassador to Türkiye Yousaf Junaid said.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Daily Sabah, Junaid said: "Pakistan has always lent its support to Türkiye on its core issues including the very important issue of Cyprus. We acknowledge the legitimate rights and concerns of Türkiye and Turkish Cypriots in the Eastern Mediterranean."
He underlined that Pakistan has consistently extended its unequivocal support to TRNC at all international fora, including at the U.N., Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO).
"We will continue to do that," Junaid emphasized.
Pakistan has been hosting a trading office of TRNC in Islamabad since 1987.
Cyprus has been mired in a decadeslong dispute between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, despite a series of diplomatic efforts by the U.N. to achieve a comprehensive settlement.
Today, the Turkish side supports a solution based on the equal sovereignty of the two states on the island. On the other hand, the Greek side wants a federal solution based on the hegemony of the Greeks.
On the other side, Junaid spoke about the thriving bilateral ties between the two countries, saying that high-level exchanges and visits are a special aspect and regular feature of relations.
"These interactions provide the necessary impetus and ownership by the leadership to guide our strategic and comprehensive relations."
He recalled that Pakistan’s Prime Minister was in Ankara at the inauguration ceremony after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s historic re-election this May and added that Erdoğan is expected to pay a visit to Pakistan in the near future for the 7th High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council, for which the dates are being worked out.
The High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC) is the primary platform at the leadership level, which has been instrumental in further cementing bilateral relations.
Defense ties are also continuing to develop with Pakistan’s Army and Air Force Chiefs visiting Türkiye recently.
Indicating that defense cooperation is "exemplary", Junaid continued: "Our close strategic partnership and defense collaboration is cemented through institutional mechanisms, high-level exchanges, and joint projects. Pakistan is one of the biggest customers of the Türkiye’s defense products."
There is an ever-increasing cooperation between Pakistan and Turkish defense Industries in projects, including Super Mashak trainer aircraft and MILGEM ships.
Last month, PNS Tariq, the fourth and the last of MILGEM corvettes built by Türkiye for Pakistan, was inaugurated at a ceremony in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi with Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz attending the program.
"With the ever-changing geo-strategic interests, we are working to strengthen our joint capabilities and production in key sectors including the development of fighter aircraft. Our close bilateral collaboration in all areas of mutual interest would not only continue but further intensify in the future," the ambassador said.
It was previously reported that Pakistan and Türkiye might cooperate on Türkiye's domestically developed fifth-generation fighter jet KAAN. KAAN boasts all technologies and features found in fifth-generation warplanes. It will provide the opportunity to strategically attack air-to-air and air-to-ground targets. It has a completely domestic infrastructure for secure data sharing and the use of smart munitions.
On energy cooperation, Junaid said that similarly huge potential exists in this area as well.
"With a GDP of more than $350 billion and 50% of our population of 220 million under the category of middle income, Pakistan is an attractive investment destination. We are very keen to attract more Turkish investments, especially in the energy, infrastructure and mining sectors. Companies from both sides can complement each other through joint ventures and tap the immense energy resources in Pakistan," he said.
The ambassador gave the example of collaboration in renewables, including wind and solar energy. The Jhimpir Wind Power Plant in Pakistan is an example of previous projects while the two countries now also aim for investment of the magnitude of $10 billion in the solar energy sector of Pakistan, which would include solarization of government buildings to megaprojects.
"We believe that the Turkish businesses with competitive edge and capacity in the energy sector can benefit largely from our recent policy ‘Pakistan Oil Refining Policy for New/ Greenfield Refineries 2023,'" Junaid said, adding that: "Turkish companies are encouraged to set up their manufacturing facilities in Special Economic Zones, which offer highly attractive opportunities and facilities to the foreign investors."
Potential for trade
The ambassador, however, also mentioned that the current bilateral trade volume, which is $1.3 billion (TL 35.14 billion), is below the potential of the two countries and that this figure can easily be enhanced through mutual steps.
"The ethnic, religious and cultural bonding, which exists in every possible way in the political arena and social arena, needs to be transformed in a more meaningful way toward the area of goods, services, trade and economics."
Our potential is far beyond the target of $5 billion, he added. The ambassador mentioned areas such as agriculture, livestock, information technologies and mining as having potential for cooperation besides already flourishing fields including the textile and defense industry sector.
Calling on Turkish companies to consider Pakistan for investments, the envoy said: "Pakistan has a very important geostrategic location. Whatever you are producing in Pakistan is going to be consumed around 30%-50% in the country while the rest can be easily exported to close areas such as the Gulf region with low logistical costs."
As a solution to increase the bilateral trade volume, the ambassador highlighted that the basket of economic cooperation fields needs to be enhanced, institutional mechanisms must be developed and investment has to flow initially from Türkiye toward Pakistan.
International challenges
Apart from bilateral ties, Türkiye and Pakistan also frequently cooperate and consult on international and regional challenges, including increasing attacks on Muslims and Islam as well as the ongoing instability in Pakistan’s neighboring Afghanistan.
Junaid reiterated that Pakistan condemned in the strongest terms the "senseless and deeply offensive act" of desecration of the Holy Quran in Sweden and before that in other European countries.
"Such despicable acts call into question the legal framework behind which the Islamophobes hide and spread hatred with impunity. At a time when there is an increasing need for inter-faith harmony and mutual respect for peaceful coexistence, the international community cannot turn a blind eye to these developments, which are a source of pain and anguish to over 2 billion Muslims around the world," the ambassador added.
"We believe that freedom of expression comes with responsibilities. These provocative acts of religious hatred, by any definition, do not constitute freedom of expression. Pakistan considers that it is the responsibility of the national governments as well as the international community to prevent these racist and Islamophobic acts," he said.
Junaid highlighted that the two countries worked and are working closely under the ambit of the OIC to raise concerns, resulting in the commemoration of "International Day to Combat Islamophobia" by the United Nations.
"Both Pakistan and Türkiye lead the Istanbul Process, which is the practical road map of U.N. Human Rights Council Resolution 16/18 on combatting intolerance, discrimination and xenophobia on the basis of religion or belief. We would continue with our combined efforts against such Islamophobic acts."
In Afghanistan, similarly, bilateral efforts are ongoing.
"As friends and partners of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkiye should continue to work together towards promoting the shared ideals of a peaceful, prosperous and interconnected Afghanistan," Junaid said.
The ambassador also spoke on the difficulties the situation in Afghanistan is causing for the country. Hosting more than 3 million Afghan refugees, Pakistan is calling for burden-sharing as it has been causing economic stress in the country.
"Peace and stability in Afghanistan is a strategic imperative for Pakistan. Afghanistan has historically played a role as a bridge between peoples and cultures. Peace in Afghanistan offers fresh opportunities to realize this potential through projects like TAPI, CASA-1000 and the Trans-Afghan Railways," he said.