I consider Pakistan my second home: Erdogan

ISLAMABAD: Thanking Pakistanis for according him a warm welcome, Turkish President Erdogan said Friday he considered Pakistan his second home.

Erdogan held a joint press conference with Prime Minister Imran Khan on the last day of his two-day visit to Pakistan. The Turkish president reiterated his support for Pakistan, saying Ankara will continue to support Islamabad.

“Turkey stands with Pakistan and will continue to do so,” he said.

Pakistan and Turkey signed 12 Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) on Friday after a high-level Strategic Cooperation Council meeting of the two sides.

Erdogan thanked “his brother Imran” for taking action against militants and terrorists based in Pakistan. The Turkish president said that Pakistan and Afghanistan were both “brotherly nations” and Turkey would like to promote relations between the two “brotherly nations”.

He said that the Kashmir issue could be solved peacefully and in line with the UN resolutions on the occupied territory.

PM Imran said that a new chapter had been opened in Pakistan-Turkey ties. He appreciated President Erdogan’s speech from earlier during the day at the parliament.

“Ever since President Erdogan became the chief executive of Turkey, our bilateral relations have improved,” he said. PM Imran said that when Erdogan became president, Turkey’s economy improved significantly.

PM Imran said Turkey earned $35 billion annually from the tourism sector and lauded Turkey for building a housing scheme for the poor. He said Pakistan should learn from Erdogan’s experience and maximise its tourism potential as well.

The prime minister lashed out at the Indian government, saying that it had kept eight million people hostage in occupied Kashmir. He said that India had filled its jail with young people.