From: TEX5HAD@CMS1.LEEDS.AC.UK (Haluk DEMIRBAG)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.turkish
Subject: ISHAQ KHAN'S VISIT TO TURKEY: VOYAGE OF FRIENDSHIP
Date: 9 Nov 1992 18:49:18 -0600
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ISHAQ KHAN'S VISIT TO TURKEY: VOYAGE OF FRIENDSHIP

The Pakistan Observer    10 October 1992     A. Sayeed Khan Qamar

It  goes without  saying  that Pakistan  and  Turkey have  always
enjoyed the most fraternal ties,  shared joy and sorrow and their
friendship  has set  a unique  example to  others throughout  the
annals  of  history.  Significantly  there  has  always  been  an
acknowledgement  from  the  top  leadership of  Turkey  that  the
Turkish nation  could never  forget their Pakistani  brothers who
fought in  trenches in Anatolia  during the war  of independence,
and like the Turkish martyrs the  place of these heroes is in the
heart of the Turkish nation.

Pakistan also believes, that the commonality of purpose, identity
of  views, solidarity  and  amount of  goodwill  between the  two
countries is  unparalled and that  the relations between  the two
countries could  be further strengthened  to make it a  model for
the rest of the world.

But unfortunately these relations at least during the last decade
or so  languished at  the protocol level  and lacked  the desired
warmth and activity. Thanks to  the visit of President Ishaq Khan
to  Turkey his  political  wisdom, frank  and  candid talks  with
President Ozal and  others, these relations have  once again been
revived. It  is hoped that  if further impetus is  provided these
countries, which once enjoyed tremendous potentials, will be able
to  further promote  their ties  in economic,  trade and  culture
besides joining hands in various projects in the field of defence
more  so in  the light  of the  emergence of  independent Central
Asian Republics and Azerbaijan with whom both Turkey and Pakistan
share cultural and religious links.

Ghulam Ishaq Khan  has reasons to feel happy  and satisfied after
his five-day official  visit to Turkey and of  course his two-day
Umra visit  to Saudi Arabia.  The success cannot be  described in
mere words but its  impact will not take very long  to be felt by
every one.

Besides the bilateral matters which President Ishaq and President
Turgut Ozal discussed, they felt that  it was time for the Muslim
States to  forge unity  among their  ranks and  to take  a united
stand on  the issues (like  Kashmir, Bosnia, Pakistan,  etc) when
confronted by  the Muslim Ummah.  In Saudi Arabia Ishaq  Khan got
King Fahd  to fully agree  with him  that the Islamic  world must
work for  solidarity and  speak with  one voice  on international
developments and issues facing the Islamic world.

Ishaq Khan did not mince words  when he told the two leaders that
"we must make it clear to the  United Nations that if they do not
want  to send  troops  to Bosnia  to end  the  sufferings of  the
Muslims  then nations  individually or  collectively or  with the
contribution of several Islamic states,  can provide forces to be
sent for peace keeping purposes there."

Ishaq  Khan  told  Turkish  editors  that  if  the  international
community continued to be guilty  of inaction and indifference to
the plight of Bosnia Muslims, if  it failed to restore the rights
of Kashmiris  and Bosnians  trampled under  the jackboots  of the
aggressors and  if the aggressors  go unpunished there  is little
hope for a peaceful world order emerging anywhere else.

In Turkey the visit of Ghulam Ishaq Khan began with an open, warm
and hearty  welcome by President  Ozal and the people  of Turkey.
Ishaq's  impressive personality  and his  grasp of  international
political  and  economic  issues  left  President  Ozal  and  his
officials amazed.

This  was perhaps  the reason  why Ozal  cared very  little about
protocol and went out of his way to accord the highest regard and
affection to  Ishaq Khan during  his entire visit from  Ankara to
Istanbul. This can be seen from  the fact that after Ankara, Ozal
was not scheduled to accompany Ishaq  Khan to other cities but he
did it  because according to  him he  wanted to have  the maximum
opportunity  to be  with  Ishaq  Khan to  exchange  views on  all
possible issues.

I have visited Turkey a number of times in the past but this time
I found a lot of change  and development in that country. Besides
I also  found a new  outlook in  the thinking of  Turkish leaders
particularly during and  after the RCD which  for obvious reasons
dragged on for many years  without yielding any result, Turkey is
fast moving  towards development for  achieving self-sufficiency.
It  is  already  self-sufficient  in  the  aviation  field  after
producing  their  own  F-16s   to  meet  their  airforce  demand.
Basically,  Ozal  is an  engineer  and  cares most  for  Turkey's
development and  has also  asked Pakistan to  join hands  for the
establishment  of   a  construction   company  for   meeting  the
increasing demand for house construction.  Since Turkey has a lot
of  construction  material it  was  ready  to  extend a  hand  to
Pakistan  in  this   field.  Ozal  made  yet   another  offer  of
cooperation  in  the  field  of telecommunications  to  launch  a
satellite for the help of three  ECO members. If need arises, the
newly independent states of Central  Asia could also be benefited
from the satellite facility.

Ishaq  Khan's visit  to Turkey's  aerospace industries  did cause
some concern  in certain countries who  flashed speculations that
Pakistan had  asked Turkey  to supply it  with F-16  aircraft and
also  spare  parts needed  for  its  own  F-16s provided  by  the
Americans.  Knowing full  well that  the F-16  aircraft owned  by
Pakistan were of different versions  and that under the agreement
with  the  Americans, Turkey  cannot  sell  aircraft to  Pakistan
though  it was  in the  process of  supplying forty-five  of such
aircraft  to Egypt.  Ishaq Khan  had to  contradict such  reports
which were published in one of Turkey's English dailies.

It  was  reported  that  during  his visit  to  TAI,  Ishaq  Khan
requested the procurement of F-16  and C-130 Hercules spare parts
because of the restrictions imposed  by the United States for the
supply of  military aid.  However, during my  interview, Minister
for Defence Production Mir Hazar  Bajrani did tell me that during
the  talks  with the  Turkish  leaders  some projects  for  joint
cooperation were  identified as being  in defence and  the matter
would be further pursued.

The  visit  to  the   Turkish  Aerospace  Industries  was  highly
educative. President  Ishaq told Turkish journalists  that we are
proud that  our brothers  in Turkey have  such modern  and nicely
managed installations  and this industry  was one of the  best of
its kind in the entire Muslim world.

The managing director of TAI  who briefed President Ishaq who was
also  accompanied  by  President  Ozal looked  perturbed  at  the
searching questions  Ishaq Khan  put to him  regarding production
and its cost.  Even Ozal looked amazed at the  knowledge of Ishaq
Khan on the subject.

The President was informed at the briefing that TAI had delivered
the ninety-six  of the  152 aircraft manufactured  at TAI  to the
Turkish Air  Force at  the comparatively  cheaper cost  than what
General  Dynamics,  the  main   manufacturers  charge.  When  the
President  of  Pakistan's  Air  Force 707  aircraft  entered  the
airspace of Turkey  these very F-16s made a flypast  and they did
the same on the way back from Istanbul to Jeddah.

It was apparent  that by actions and words  Ozal demonstrated the
highest regard  for Ishaq. He  accompanied him to Antalya  on the
Mediterranean  coast.   In  Antalya,  Ozal  insisted   that  Khan
accompany him  in his  own special plane  to Istanbul  because he
wanted  to show  him  important coastal  cities including  Izmir.
Besides he said he wanted to  have more talks with him which they
could have during the flight.

President Ozal  hosted a  farewell dinner for  Ishaq Khan  at the
historical and  most beautiful Dolmabahce Palace  in Istanbul. It
was a unique honour for Ishaq Khan and a fine gesture on the part
of  Ozal, because  it is  very  seldom that  a head  of state  is
invited to  the palace.  According to  Turkish protocol  the last
guest hosted at  the palace was President Bush after  a period of
ten or fifteen  years. The palace which could not  be compared to
any other  such building in  the world was constructed  more than
four  hundred  years ago  in  the  Ottoman  period. The  hall  is
incomparable in  its grandeur. Its location  along the Bosphorous
and its beautiful structure leave an unforgettable impression.

The Turkish  tour is  over but diplomats  of both  countries will
have much to do for months  and years to accomplish the task left
for  them by  the  two  leaders. On  them  will  depend how  they
translate into  reality the  ideas the two  leaders agreed  to. A
mere  bureaucratic   approach  would  be  the   negation  of  the
understanding reached between the two leaders.

The visit  to Saudi Arabia  was for  the performance of  Umra and
Hazri at the Masjid-i Nabavi but  Ishaq Khan made it a purposeful
visit. Of course as a protocol he  had to make a courtesy call on
the  Custodian  of Haramain  Sharifain  but  the King  held  very
important talks with him and this was a demonstration of the King
and Saudi  Arabia's love  and affection for  Pakistan. He  made a
very generous and important announcement  to send a commission to
Pakistan  to   assess  the   flood  damages   and  help   in  the
recunstruction and rehabilitation of the infrastructure destroyed
or damaged in the recent floods  in Pakistan. The offer under the
present circumstances was of  course very generous because nobody
can deny the  fact that the reconstruction  and rehabilitation of
the infrastructure is a gigantic  task which could cost billions.
More pleasing  was another  assurance from the  King that  he was
also  asking  the  other  friendly  Islamic  States  to  come  to
Pakistan's aid.
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