H.E Mr. Abdullah Gul,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is indeed a great honor for me to receive the Devlet Nishan (Dev-let Nishan) from His Excellency, President Abdullah Gul today. Your Excellency, this is a special honor that has deeply touched me. I will always cherish it as a great personal treasure. It will also serve to remind the strong brotherly ties between our two nations. The importance of this ceremony goes beyond symbolism. It is a testimony to the special nature of our relations. It is a testimony of the brotherly relations between our two peoples. The relations that existed even before Pakistan and Turkey emerged as modern nation-states.
The founder of Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, in his meeting with the first Turkish Ambassador to Pakistan had said, and I quote, A long history binds the people of Turkey and Pakistan right from the very birth of political consciousness among the Muslims of the sub-continent. It is therefore no surprise that the first official mission sent abroad by Pakistan was to Turkey in October 1947. Over the years our historical, political and cultural ties have further deepened. The Devlet Nishan conferred on me today has placed on my shoulders the responsibility to carry forward our relations to even greater heights.
I wish to reiterate my resolve to working closely with our Turkish brethren for the progress and development of our peoples.
Long-live Pakistan-Turkey friendship
As a nation, we face challenges, some of them undeniably tough, like the threat of extremism, a troubled economy, a...
