Pakistan PM Declares ‘Support for the TRNC’

Sharif had travelled to meet Erdogan in Ankara and spoke of how Erdogan’s “bold and courageous stance on issues of profound importance resonates not only with the people of Turkey but with the Muslim world and beyond”.

He said he had discussed a range of international issues with Erdogan prior to the press conference, including “the rapidly evolving and worrying situation in the Middle East”.

On this matter, he said, “we stressed upon the need for unity among the ranks of the Muslim Ummah, expressing our deep concern over the situation in Gaza”.

“We strongly condemn the brutal killings of over 50,000 innocent Palestinians, including women and children. We have called for an immediate ceasefire and the unhindered flow of humanitarian assistance for the Palestinian people.”

He added that he and Erdogan had “renewed our call for a viable, independent, and contiguous Palestinian state with pre-1967 borders and [Jerusalem] as its capital”.

This, he said, “would be the only just, comprehensive, fair, and lasting solution to the Palestinian question, in accordance with the United Nations’ and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s resolutions”.

“I expressed my sincerest gratitude to my dear brother President Erdogan for Turkey’s unwavering support on the Kashmir issue and reiterated our support to the people of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus,” he said.

The press conference in Ankara is the second time in a little over two months that Sharif has made reference to Cyprus.

In February, he said Pakistan “fully supports the cause of northern Cyprus and fully stands by Turkey on this cause in an unwavering fashion” when Erdogan visited Pakistan’s capital Islamabad as part of a tour of Asia.

Erdogan at the time thanked Sharif for his support for the north, saying, “Pakistan’s support for the just cause of the Turkish Cypriots is extremely meaningful to us.”

Sharif’s comments are the latest episode in Pakistan’s flirtation with recognising the north, with the north’s ‘parliament speaker’ Zorlu Tore having said last year that the country was showing “very close interest and concern”.

He then added that “our future is definitely bright” on the matter.

Source: HDN