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By Rehan Khan
ISLAMABAD, September 25 (APP):Turkish Ambassador to Pakistan Dr. Irfan Neziroglu on Thursday called for expanding educational cooperation between Pakistan and Turkiye, terming academic exchanges and people-to-people contacts vital to further strengthening the historic brotherly ties between the two nations.
He was addressing an orientation programme at the Turkish Embassy for 166 Pakistani students who have been awarded fully-funded Turkiye scholarships for the year 2025.
Ambassador Neziroglu said this year marked a record intake from Pakistan. “Every year, nearly 30,000 students apply for Turkiye scholarships, and we are proud that a record number of Pakistani students will now pursue undergraduate, master’s and doctoral studies in Turkiye,” he noted.
The ambassador said in addition to Turkiye scholarships offered by YTB, Pakistani students were also benefiting from opportunities provided by other Turkish institutions, including TUBITAK, the Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), and IHH. “Currently, around 5,000 Pakistani students are studying in Turkiye, but this number does not reflect the depth of our brotherly ties. We want to rapidly increase this number in the near future,” he added.
Underscoring the role of education as a bridge between nations, the envoy remarked, “Turkiye supports Pakistani students in every field because cooperation in education is an investment in our shared future.” He also expressed satisfaction over an upcoming cultural visit of 200 outstanding Pakistani students to Turkiye in October and November, organized on the instruction of Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Education Counsellor at the Turkish Embassy, Mehmet Toyran, in his remarks, highlighted the significance of education in promoting literacy and strengthening bilateral relations. “Turkiye sees Pakistan’s success as its own, and we will continue to support initiatives that expand access to education and opportunities for Pakistani youth,” he said.
The event concluded with a presentation and question–answer session conducted by Dr. Tahir Shah, Secretary at the Education Counsellor’s Office, to prepare the selected students for their academic journey in Turkiye.