In an event hosted at the Ministry of National Education in Ankara Tuesday, high school students across Türkiye were recognized for their exceptional literary talent at the Jinnah Young Writers Awards, held in partnership with the Turkish National Education Ministry and the Pakistani Embassy.

Mustafa Mert Tokgoz, hailing from Istanbul, clinched the top spot with his essay, "Iqbal and Independence," based on the theme "Muhammad Iqbal and Mehmet Akif Ersoy – Two great poets of the 20th century."

Expressing his delight in meeting representatives from Pakistan, Türkiye's National Education Minister Yusuf Tekin highlighted the ministry's crucial role in imparting sentiments of camaraderie to future generations.

"Today, we are traversing days that call for the freedom and dignified stance of the Muslim world. I hope that we, too, will strive to present our nation to upcoming generations as a symbol of the dignified stance that can set an example for the world, much like Ataturk, the founder of the Republic of Türkiye, and Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan," Minister Tekin maintained.

Pakistani Ambassador to Türkiye Yousaf Junaid commended the outstanding essays submitted by high school students from various regions of Türkiye.

He underscored the significance of the essay competition, named after Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, as a prominent feature of the Pakistani Embassy's public diplomacy initiatives.

Junaid emphasized the primary objective of the award as reaching out to younger generations and acquainting them with the profound history of fraternal ties between the two nations.

"I firmly believe that our fraternal and enduring connections will be further fortified through such endeavors. The leadership's vision in both countries is to elevate this historic relationship into a robust strategic partnership encompassing all realms of human endeavors," Ambassador Junaid added.

The awards ceremony concluded with the presentation of accolades to the winning students. This annual competition caters to high school seniors across Türkiye, fostering literary talents and celebrating cultural bonds between Türkiye and Pakistan.