Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey His Excellency Mr. Engin Soysal talks to Blue Chip about Pakistan and Turkey’s special relationship, and expresses his affection for the people of Pakistan. H.E. Mr. Soysal elaborates on important issues such as bilateral trade, student exchange programmes, development of sources of energy, the need for cultural exchange between the two countries and Turkey’s status in the European Union (EU).
Please tell us a bit about yourself. How long have you been posted in Pakistan and what have you been involved in prior to this posting?
Engin Soysal: “My tenure in Pakistan started on January 2, 2007. Exactly two years have passed. In fact, it has been two eventful years. I must underline that it is a privilege to serve in Pakistan. Turkey’s relations with Pakistan are unique.
I’m a career diplomat. I joined the Turkish Foreign Ministry in 1983. My first nomination abroad was to Tehran in 1985. Then, I was transferred to Brussels to our mission to EU. Later on, I worked as Political Counselor at our Embassy in Paris for five years. I also worked in our Permanent Mission to the UN in New York and lastly, for four years at our Embassy in Washington D.C. where I was the Deputy Chief of Mission. Pakistan is my first assignment as Ambassador.”
Had you been to Pakistan before your posting? What are your impressions of Pakistan; the place and its people? And, what do you like most about this country?
ES: “Yes, I have been to Pakistan before, but only for short official visits. When I was the Chief of Cabinet and Special Adviser of the Foreign Minister, between 1997-99 and 2000-2002, I was a member of different delegations which came to Pakistan. In fact, I attended the groundbreaking ceremony of our Embassy building in the Diplomatic Enclave. I never thought that one day I would have the honor to be here as Ambassador.
Turks have a great respect for the Pakistani people. Pakistan is a very dear country for us. We love Pakistan. I believe that Pakistan, like Turkey, is a cradle of civilisations. I visited the four provinces. From Lahore to Karachi, from Peshawar to Quetta, from the Khyber Pass to Sargodha; wherever I went, the hospitality shown to me by the Pakistani people has been remarkable. One can see the closeness of our ties in every respect.
What I like the most about Pakistan is this sentiment of being at home, among family members.”
Pakistan and Turkey have shared cordial relations for more than 60 years. In fact, Prime Minister ErdoÄŸan was the first Head of State to visit the earthquake-affected areas in 2005 and extend support, and Your Excellency was the first Ambassador to visit Balochistan and arrange for relief efforts. How can this special relationship be further enhanced?
ES: “Both Turkey and Pakistan are countries with young populations. We have to enhance interaction between students, further promote cooperation at the level of universities. We also need more publication. The cultural dimension is indeed extremely important. Pakistani artists are not well-known in Turkey. You have great talents. We will be very happy if music groups like Strings, Haroon, Zeb-Haniya perform in Turkey. One of the projects decided at the Presidential level and that still have to be implemented is the organisation of an exhibition of the Indus Valley Civilisation in Turkey. On the other hand, the expansion of our commercial and trade relations with Pakistan will also help in further promoting this special relationship.”
What specific initiatives are you presently involved in? Please tell us a bit about that.
ES: “The Prime Minister of Pakistan had an official visit to Turkey late October 2008. Important decisions have been taken in different fields. We are presently focusing on the follow-up of this visit. On the other hand, Turkey hosted the Second Trilateral Summit Turkey-Pakistan-Afghanistan in Istanbul, on the December 5, 2008. The President of Pakistan had bilateral meetings with our President and Prime Minister. 2009 will be the year where we will try to have tangible results both on the bilateral and trilateral levels. Turkey is involved in concrete development projects in Pakistan. We are also very keen to see Turkish Airlines flights having additional flights to Pakistan. THY – Turkish Airlines is ready to start direct flights from Istanbul to Islamabad and Lahore. THY is also ready to increase flights to Karachi from the four times a week to seven. This issue has already been taken at the highest level with the Pakistani authorities. We would like to see concrete steps in this regard.”
What can be done to further bolster trade and contact between the two countries?
ES: “We must increase the exchange of delegations and convene urgently the meeting of the Joint Economic Commission which couldn’t be held since years. During his visit to Turkey, Prime Minister Gilani addressed the Turkish business community. Our Minister for Trade has promised to undertake a visit to Pakistan accompanied by a large number of businessmen. Many steps have already been taken to further bolster trade. We have two new honorary consul generals in Faisalabad and Sialkot. I intend to visit the two cities and explore the ways and means to open new opportunities for trade and commerce between our countries.”
What is your opinion on the economic and political instability that has been plaguing Pakistan for the past couple of years. Does this state of affairs impact Pakistan’s relationship with Turkey in any way. If so, how do you think the situation can be improved?
ES: “Pakistan is a key country for stability and peace in a critical geography. Located at the intersection of West Asia, Central Asia and South Asia, the success of Pakistan in overcoming the difficulties will be crucial not only for the countries in the region but also globally. We must praise Pakistan for its efforts and sacrifices in combating terrorism and extremism. These are common challenges. The elections of February 18, 2008 have opened a brand new chapter for Pakistan. The challenges Pakistan faces are multifold.Turkey’s relations with Pakistan are time-tested. When Pakistan is happy, Turkey is happy. When Pakistan is sad, we are sad. Turkey stands by Pakistan in every front. We try to do our best to forge even more strong ties in facing the challenges. We believe in Pakistan’s bright future.”
Do you think specific industries need to be given more importance, which can be further developed and enhanced to the mutual benefit of both countries?
ES: “One specific area where we can focus is the renewable energy resources. A Turkish Company Zorlu Energy Group has already started cooperation with the Pakistani relevant authorities. Zorlu Energy Group signed an agreement with Pakistani Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) in 2006 to establish a wind farm in Pakistan. Under this agreement, Zorlu Pakistan Energy will be setting up a wind power generation plant in the Jhimpir region of Hyderabad and operating it for a period of twenty years. The first wind mill facility has been brought to Pakistan by this Turkish company. The first phase of the project will have a maximum capacity of 50 MW, with an option to increase the capacity up to 300 MW. An agreement has been signed recently with the Hyderabad Electric Supply Authority.
Turkey has an excellent experience in techno-parks. In fact, Turkish universities like METU with many Pakistani graduates have been keen to share their experience in this field. A delegation from METU came to Pakistan in 2007.
On the other hand, our trilateral cooperation (Turkey-Afghanistan-Pakistan) includes a framework of cooperation and the leaders have agreed to continue work on the three projects selected by the Istanbul Forum: Agribusiness focused Organised Industrial Zones, establishment of business development centre and capacity development projects for chambers of commerce and industry.”
What is the status of Turkey gaining membership to the EU? In what ways do you think strengthening the relationship with EU will benefit Turkey?
ES: “For Turkey, becoming a full member of the European Union is a strategic goal. The dynamic is not of cooperation but integration. This has been a state policy and a target for Turkey for decades. With full-membership as our final goal, we are moving forward in the accession process with determination. Accession Negotiations have been launched on October 3, 2005. Ten chapters of negotiations have been opened so far. This process is not a mere foreign policy objective. It also constructs a sound framework for the political reforms that we are carrying out in Turkey. Our people are the beneficiaries of this process. In the fields of health, environment, consumer rights, food safety, transportation, energy, education and so forth, the EU reforms are dispensing a good opportunity for achieving higher standards for our people and for increasing the quality of life in Turkey. The accession process has provided predictability to the Turkish economy. This is a win-win relationship.”
What lessons can Pakistan learn from Turkey, or vice-versa?
ES: “As Turkish President Gül has underlined, and I quote, ‘The globalised world of today with its high-level of interdependence requires societies to understand one another in greater depth than ever before’ and ‘consequently, employing cross-cultural skills that facilitate mutual understanding among societies has become a key condition for peaceful relations in the 21st century’. I believe societies with distinct historical and social experience are well-placed to cultivating and articulating cross-cultural skills. Turkey and Pakistan are such countries. We have a special relationship with Pakistan. I’m strongly convinced that more than Pakistan learning from Turkey or vice-versa, our relationship in itself can be a valuable source of inspiration.
I would like to conclude this interview by underlining once again the privilege of serving among wonderful people.”
