Türkiye, Pakistan celebrate diplomatic relations at cultural night in Turkish capital

Türkiye and Pakistan celebrated the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries Wednesday through a cultural night held in Ankara. After beginning with the playing of Türkiye and Pakistan's national anthems, the program continued with a performance by Turkish musicians singing songs in both the Urdu and Turkish languages. Ali Şahin, a member of the Turkish parliament and former deputy minister of the European Union, gave the opening speech at the event. Speaking at the event, Pakistan's Ambassador to Türkiye Yousaf Junaid underscored that relations between the two countries are 75 years old, adding: 'The relationship between our two nations goes well beyond the establishment of our two republics.' 'We look at our relations as a sacred trust that has been passed on to us by our forefathers and which we are pledged to hand over to our succeeding generations,' he said, referring to the support given by both Ankara and Islamabad to each other when faced with harsh times. The event ended after Pakistani Qawwali singers took to the stage to sing traditional songs in their native dress. Qawwali music is a 'unique' Sufi-Islamic devotional music 'based on mysticism and spiritualism' as Junaid described. Relations between the two countries have developed on the basis of close friendship and brotherhood since the establishment of Pakistan as an independent state on Aug. 14, 1947. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Ankara and Islamabad. The support extended by the Muslims of the subcontinent to the Turkish War of Independence has a special place in the minds of the Turkish people. Türkiye's success in establishing a modern state after the war has been a source of inspiration for the Pakistani people. Following the establishment of Pakistan, reciprocal high-level visits developed friendly relations further, while the two countries' support for each other in getting through the most difficult challenges such as at times of natural disasters led to a deepening of close relations between the peoples.