Erdogan stresses unity against terrorists who spill Muslims’ blood

ISLAMABAD, Nov 17 (APP): Reiterating his government’s clear stance against terrorism, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Thursday called for unity against terrorist organizations terming them “the agents of the war carried out against Islam,” which was detrimental to Muslims.
“The terrorist organizations such as Al-Qaida and its affiliate DAESH are the agents of the war carried out against Islam, which are only and solely harming Muslims. We should eliminate these bunches of killers, who have no other skill than to shed Muslims’ blood, from the Islamic world and from all over the world as soon as possible,” Erdogan said addressing the joint session of the Senate and National Assembly here.
Chaired by Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, the session was attended by Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, while in the galleries were the chief ministers of Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan, besides the services chiefs and diplomats from various countries.
As the guest entered the House, the members arose from their seat and thumped desks to welcome him.
The national anthems of both the countries were also played.
President Erdogan believed that Turkey, Pakistan, the world of Islam, and humankind would not attain peace without eliminating the terrorist elements. Terrorists had nothing to do with Islam as the religion provided the basis of promotion of peace and brotherhood, he added.
As believers of the holy religion, we cannot save Muslims from the pit of impunity that they have fallen into, he said.
The Turkish president said strengthening democracy in Pakistan was laudable and also apprised the House of the foiled coup attempt in his own country.
“Pakistan has become an important model for the Islamic world demonstrating that democracy may work through maintaining its values. I also congratulate you for your success,” he remarked.
Turkish President Erdogan recalled that Pakistan was the first country to stand by Turkey with its state government, parliament and its people after the July 15, coup attempt in Turkey.
“We appreciated the resolutions of support which were adopted unanimously by your parliament,” he said adding that the support visit of the Pakistani delegation to Turkey in August, contributed to their struggle against the terrorist organizations.
He said Pakistan, with its stance against the July 15 coup attempt, perpetrated by Fetullah Gullen Terrorist Organization (FETO), showed that it also stood by the Turkish nation in its second War of Liberation.
“May Allah be pleased with you and forever maintain and preserve our solidarity,” he remarked.
Erdogan reiterated that FETO was a terrorist organization posing a threat not only to Turkey but to all countries in which it operates.
He believed that this terrorist organization would be eliminated as soon as possible without harming Pakistan. He appreciated the recent decisions taken by the Pakistani government in that direction and also thanked for the strong support in the fight against FETO.
The Turkish president believed that Pakistan and Turkey should maintain and further enhance their cooperation and solidarity against terrorist organizations.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the condition to deserve the title of Muslim was to stand against all kinds of persecution, inequity and injustice wherever and by whoever it was perpetrated.
He viewed that terrorist organizations tried to find a basis for themselves by provoking the divisions and differences among the Muslims.
In order to save the Muslims from this servile situation, Muslims would have to eradicate all means of exploitation from sectarianism to ethnic discrimination spreading among the Islamic nations.
He called for fighting together against those who were desiring to turn the Islamic World into a geography in which division, defeatism, instigation, hatred and ignorance prevail.
He said relations between Pakistan and Turkey were beyond just words as both were brotherly countries in real term, bound by common religious and other multiple ties.
He recalled Pakistan’s support in various instances including earthquake in 1999 and announcing of day of mourning after a mining disaster in Soma in 2014. Turkey also announced a day of mourning after terrorist attack at Army Public School in Peshawar in 2014, he added.
Besides their close cooperation against terrorism and for promotion of economic, trade, defense and cultural ties, the president said both the countries were also paying attention to the projects of public interest.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was addressing the joint sitting for record third time, said he was glad to meet the members at the institution that was the symbol of national will.
He said the relations between Pakistan and Turkey were of exclusive nature far beyond diplomatic contacts between the two states.
He said people of both the countries shared joys and sorrows and both the states and people acted with this understanding throughout the history.
He said the wisdom and knowledge spread by Moulana Jalaluddin Rumi from Anatolia to the world was one of the common values of two countries.
President Erdogan said that Turkey would never forget Pakistan’s help during the War of Dardanelles and during War of Liberation.
He said in the foundations of today’s Turkey, there were efforts and endeavours of many Pakistani heroes such as Abdurrahman Peshawari who came to help the Ottoman Empire during the Balkan War and then took part first in the War of Dardanelles and later in the War of Liberation and made great contributions to Turkey even after the proclamation of the Republic.
“And Abdurrahman Peshawari is such a brother for us that when his mother sent him a message to return home, responded “I cannot return while Anatolia is under occupation,” Erdogan said.
He viewed that there was no difference between Allama Muhammad Iqbal and Mehmet Akif; both were the philosophers of the liberation and future of both the countries.
We also never forgot and will not forget that our Pakistani brothers were the ones who offered the greatest support and assistance during the earthquake of 1999.
He hoped that both Pakistan and Turkey would spread this spirit of solidarity and fraternity to the whole world together.
He said Turkey also showed its solidarity with all of brothers and sisters through Turkish humanitarian and development assistance projects, with political and military support when necessary.
“We will continue our struggle until we succeed in preventing unjustly spilling of blood of any Muslim in the world,” he resolved.
He also offered Pakistan to remove together the obstacles before the Islamic World.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said mutual high level contacts greatly contributed to the development of bilateral relations in every field.
The inter-parliamentarian contacts play a critical role in strengthening the relations between the politicians and nations of the two countries, he said and hoped that the close dialogue established between the parliamentarians of the two countries would continue.
Calling for strengthening cooperation in the fields of trade and investment, Erdogan said the High Level Strategic Cooperation Council established between Turkey and Pakistan in 2009 had brought an institutional framework for the bilateral relations.
Both the countries had come a long way in a short period of time by signing 51 agreements and documents within the Council so far what he said was insufficient.
He said Turkey supported its Pakistani brothers through development-oriented cooperation projects.
He mentioned Turkish assistance after flood disaster in 2010, “Turkey Scholarships” for students and added that following the Memorandum of Understanding to be signed next month between the Council of Higher Education of Turkey and the Council of Higher Education of Pakistan will provide the opportunity for 500 Pakistani students for PhD in Turkey, each year.
He said Turkey attached importance to the development of cooperation between Pakistan and Afghanistan within the framework of their good neighborhood relations.
“This cooperation is indispensable not only for peace and security of the region, but also for the economic potential of this geography and carrying out important infrastructure projects,” he observed.
He said Turkey followed Kashmir issue carefully and latest developments in Kashmir once again demonstrated the importance and the urgency of the solution of that problem.
Expressing his deep concerns about the increase of the tension, he urged the international community to exert further efforts in to solve this issue which has political and humanitarian dimensions, according to justice and law.
He wished that Pakistan and India resolve the issue through dialogue taking into consideration the demands of the Kashmiri people and offered Turkey’s all out efforts in that regard.
Later, after prorogation of the session, the Turkish president mixed up with the members of the parliament and exchanged matters of mutual interests.