Cyprus-Forum.com

[Murtaza]

Pakistan stands firmly by Turkey on Cyprus issue
Thursday, June 2, 2005




‘Whatever steps Turkey has outlined and deems necessary on northern Cyprus, we support them without any reservations,’ says Pakistan’s Prime Minister Aziz

ANKARA - TDN with wire dispatches


Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz yesterday expressed his country's commitment to extend all kinds of support for easing the international isolation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC).

Turkey and Pakistan share a similar view on the Cyprus dispute, Aziz emphasized at a joint press conference in Ankara following a meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

“Whatever steps Turkey has outlined and deems necessary on northern Cyprus, we have said we support them without any reservations,” said Aziz. “We are 100 percent with Turkey on this issue.”

Pakistan, which has enjoyed historically close political relations with Turkey, has allowed a representative mission of the Turkish Cypriots to operate in Islamabad but has not yet granted full de jure recognition to the KKTC.

Aziz said further steps for easing the international isolation of the Turkish Cypriots would help improve peace and harmony in the region. Pakistan had supported Turkey in pressing the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to accept northern Cyprus as the “Turkish Cypriot State.”



Turning point in bilateral cooperation:

Aziz's meeting with Erdoğan offered an opportunity to announce mutual will between the two countries for stepping up efforts to boost trade and cooperation.

“This visit is a turning point in our relations in terms of our desire to raise the level of cooperation between our countries,” Aziz said. The trade volume between Turkey and Pakistan should be increased to at least $1 billion from the current level of $400 million, he said.

“I have invited the (Turkish) business community to invest in Pakistan,” Aziz said, highlighting opportunities in Pakistan for investment and trade and for Turkish contractors to participate in infrastructure development programs.

Erdoğan, on the other hand, described the current trade volume between Turkey and Pakistan, which stood at $326.7 million last year, as “ridiculous.” He was speaking to Turkish businessmen at the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB), which he visited later with Aziz. He urged Turkish businessmen on joint investments with Pakistani partners as well as improving bilateral trade.

[BigDutch]

Looks like a copy n paste from another site to me .... if so normal, etiquette is to put a link to the news story, and then copy n paste the bit you are making a comment on.

Can't have a discussion forum full of copied news stories can we ?

[cannedmoose]

Just another example of diplomatic niceties... no realsubstance underpinning this...

[RAFAELLA]

I'm not surprised, after all Pakistan offered to help Tr with the "peace operation" in 1974.

Azerbaijan, Gambia, Pakistan.... I guess Tr should start thinking seriously of establishing a union with such countries.

[BigDutch]

Who says money doesn't talk ?

“Whatever steps Turkey has outlined and deems necessary on northern Cyprus, we have said we support them without any reservations,” said Aziz. “We are 100 percent with Turkey on this issue.”

“This visit is a turning point in our relations in terms of our desire to raise the level of cooperation between our countries,” Aziz said. The trade volume between Turkey and Pakistan should be increased to at least $1 billion from the current level of $400 million, he said.

[suetoniuspaulinus]

Who says money doesn't talk ?

“Whatever steps Turkey has outlined and deems necessary on northern Cyprus, we have said we support them without any reservations,” said Aziz. “We are 100 percent with Turkey on this issue.”

“This visit is a turning point in our relations in terms of our desire to raise the level of cooperation between our countries,” Aziz said. The trade volume between Turkey and Pakistan should be increased to at least $1 billion from the current level of $400 million, he said.

Mr BigDutch

Isn't that called..........Politics?