‘Two countries, one nation’: Pakistan's air force chief praises friendly ties with Turkey

The head of Pakistan’s Air Force (PAF), Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan, on Friday lauded the strong bilateral relations between Ankara and Islamabad, vowing to boost cooperation in defense.

In a meeting with the Association of Justice Defenders and Strategic Studies Center (ASSAM) in Turkey, Khan said: "Pakistan and Turkey are two countries, one nation... as they not only share common culture and faith but also have similar interests and challenges.”

Underscoring cultural similarities and vowing to boost political ties between the two countries, the air chief pledged Pakistan’s full support for Turkey's fight against terrorism and the Cyprus issue.

He also praised Turkey’s support to Azerbaijan during the latter’s conflict with Armenia to liberate territories occupied for nearly 30 years, according to reports.

Expressing gratitude for the supportive statements by Turkish politicians regarding the Kashmir conflict in the international arena, Khan thanked President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for Turkey’s unwavering support.

Diplomatic relations between Turkey and Pakistan were established in 1947, soon after Pakistan came into being as the then-largest Muslim country on the world map.

Turkey was among the few countries that quickly recognized Pakistan after its creation and supported its successful bid to become a member of the United Nations.

Until a few months after the partition, Pakistan used British Indian coins as its currency with stamped word “Pakistan” on it. Pakistan introduced its currency “Rupee” in 1948 , and it was Turkey that printed Pakistani currency during the first months.

Even though the history of modern relations between Pakistan and Turkey begins from 1947, the roots of today’s ties between the two nations can be traced way back to 19th century.