Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Friday said that by celebrating Eid with flood victims, the delegation from Turkey has proved that Turk people really consider Pakistan as their home. He thanked people of Turkey for not only donating money and relief goods but also sparing time for the calamity-stricken people.
He was addressing a reception hosted in honour of a 75-member Turk delegation at Chief Minister's Secretariat here. Vice President Business Tuskon Confederation Dogan Kanak, Hatem Sayki of Hatemoglu Company Istanbul, Turgat Puyan, Senior Advisor Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa, Members National and Provincial Assembly, Vice Chairman Punjab Investment Board, and senior officers were also present on the occasion.
Addressing the Turk investors, the Chief Minister said Pakistan and Turkey have deep-rooted religious, cultural and fraternal relations, which are unparalleled in history. He said he is at a loss for words to express his gratitude to the Turk people for their generous help and assistance to flood and the earthquake victims.
He stated that next year when he will visit Turkey along with his trade delegation he will go to every Turkish city to tell the Turk people how much Pakistani people are indebted to them for their help and assistance to the flood victims. He said that Allama Iqbal is the joint spiritual asset of the people of Turkey and Pakistan and the secret of the success of the Turk nation is honesty, hard work, sincerity and determination which are the most important values in Allama Iqbal philosophy.

He said that it is a unique event that people of any country have gone to some other country in such a large numbers on an important festival to serve the distressed humanity and it is an example of unswerving friendship between Turkey and Pakistan. The CM said that though Pakistan and Turkey have deep rooted relations however, there is a need to transform them into trade and economic ties. Adding he said that government and people of Turkey have always stood by Pakistan in crises but there is a need to further promote co-operation in agriculture industrial, education, trade, science and technology and other sectors between the two countries.
Vice Chairman Punjab Investment Board Rizwan Ahmad Khan in his address of welcome informed about the measures taken by the board for the promotion of investment in the province. Vice President Business Tuskon Confederation Dogan Kanak while informing about his company said that those who received education with the scholarships given by his company are serving in 180 different countries. He said Turk people love Pakistan and consider it as their home therefore they are celebrating Eid with flood victims.
He said co-operation extended by Muslims of the subcontinent in the struggle for the independence of Turkey can never be forgotten. He also expressed his desire for the promotion of bilateral trade between Pakistan and Turkey. Hatem Sayki said that their visit has provided them an opportunity to share the sufferings of their flood affected brethren which will further improve relations between the two countries. Turgat Puyan said that people of Turkey and Pakistan have close affinity with each other.
He said Turk delegation sacrificed 4500 animals in different flood-hit areas and distributed their meat among the calamity-stricken people. He said that Turk people want to see Pakistan as a strong country and time is not far off when Pakistan will join G-20. He also commended the efforts of Khadim Punjab Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif to serve the masses. Commerce Secretary Fazal Abbas Mekan said that there is a vast scope of co-operation between Turkey and Pakistan in various sectors. He said 225-acre land has been allocated for setting up industrial zone for Turk investors in Faisalabad Industrial City.