Abdul Basit Alvi
Pak Turk Friendship spreads over the years. Turkey has continued supporting Pakistan over the years, and the friendship between the two countries is historic. These relations have been traditionally strong, with both nations maintaining extensive cultural, commercial, strategic and military cooperation. Both Turkey and Pakistan are Muslim-majority states and share extensive cultural and geopolitical links.
Turkey established diplomatic relations soon after Pakistan declared independence in 1947, and bilateral relations became very close due to the pair’s cultural, religious and geopolitical links. Pakistan’s founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, expressed admiration for Turkey’s founding leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and expressed a desire to develop Pakistan on the Turkish model. Jinnah is honored as a great leader in Turkey, and a major road of the Turkish capital Ankara, Cinnah Caddesi, is named after him, while roads in Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar, are named after Atatürk as a gesture of the love and attachment that both nations have for one another.
The sentiments of brotherhood that Pakistanis have for the people of Turkey have their roots in history. This history of Pakistani-Turkish relations is a story of concern and cooperation. They have been friends and supported each other in times of war and peace. The story of their friendship is spread almost over a century. The institution of Khilafat has occupied a very important place in the history of Islamic peoples.
The year 1947 was a crucial period in the history of the modern world. On one hand, the old order started crumbling with the partition of Europe into two separate spheres, while on the other, the subcontinent was divided into the two independent states of Pakistan and India. The most desired dream of the Indian Muslims transformed into a reality when they got their own separate homeland in Pakistan – the “land of the pure” and a custodian of ancient civilization and culture.
Pakistan established diplomatic relations with Turkey after the partition. The Muslims of the subcontinent learned valuable lessons and gained inspiration from their Turkish brethren during their fight for independence. The crucial years of the Khilafat Movement, from 1919 to 1922, played a pivotal role in the Pakistan movement launched by Indian Muslims on a mass scale. They not only stood in support of their Turkish brethren. Malik Firoze Khan Noon, on special instructions of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, visited Turkey in December 1947 and stated that: “Pakistan admires the glorious past of Turkey and its administrative achievements and organizational abilities in the past and present times. Pakistan is now two months old, and in the near future, the two brotherly countries are going to establish close cultural, commercial and political relations. A new happy era will emerge for these two countries.”
Quaid Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, considered father of the nation and the first governor-general of Pakistan, at the time of the appointment of H. E. Mr. Yahya Kemal Beyatlı as first Turkish ambassador in Pakistan on March 4, 1948, stated that: “Turkey has drawn our admiration for the valor of Turkish people and the way in which your statesman and the leaders have struggled and fought almost single-handed in the midst of Europe for your freedom and sovereignty which is worth mentioning, ‘I really can assure your Excellency that the Muslims of Pakistan will entertain sentiments of affection and esteem for your country, and now Turkey and Pakistan both as free, sovereign and independent countries can strengthen their ties more and more for the good of both.”
He also hoped that being Muslim countries, people of nations would put their genuine backing and teamwork into establishing closer political and cultural ties and thus contribute their share in the welfare and betterment of the subject of these two brotherly states.
On 6 February 2023, a 7.8 Magnitude earthquake struck southern and central Turkey, as well as northern and western Syria It occurred 32.4 km (20.1 mi) west–northwest of Gaziantep at 04:17 am TRT (01:17 UTC), with a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (Extreme). A Mw 7.7 earthquake occurred nine hours later, centered 95 km (59 mi) to the north–northeast in Kahramanmaraş Province. The devastated Earthquake took around 50000 lives and many people are still under the damaged structures. Loss of infrastructure is also huge.
Many days after the earthquake, there are still signs of life under the rubble, many people, including children, have been pulled out alive, while rescue workers are still searching for people buried in the rubble of buildings in freezing weather for days and nights. .
According to reports, many people are still feared to be trapped under the debris, rescue operations are going on day and night to get them out, but due to severe cold and snowfall in some areas, the victims are facing difficult conditions and there are difficulties in rescue operations. Thousands of people have been rescued from the rubble of buildings in Turkey.
Meanwhile, the rescue teams of the Pakistan Army have also been participating in the rescue operation and have rescued many people alive. A local rescue team rescued a 10-day-old baby and his mother in Hatay city. This is just one example while Pak Army have rescued many people in reality. Rescue operations of the Pakistan Army are ongoing in the earthquake-affected province of Adiyamanas well.
Despite the minus 8 degree temperature, the Pakistan Army troops are continuing the rescue activities, the rescue teams of the Pakistan Army have identified the living people buried under the debris at 3 places, the work of removing the debris is going on. The rescue teams of the Pakistan Army pulled out many bodies from the debris and handed them over to the heirs. Turkish people are appreciating the services of Pakistan Army soldiers in the earthquake affected areas.
Readers, Pak Army is using its experience of 2005,s earthquake and putting in all efforts and energies to help the brother and friend country. The role of Pak Army in assisting the Turkish Earthquake affectees is remarkable and appreciable. These notable efforts are token of friendship and unity with the people of Turkey.