Turkish Ambassador to Pakistan, M Babur Hizlan, has said that Turkey gives importance to its bilateral relations with Pakistan as 15 Turkish companies have confirmed their participation in Expo Pakistan, one of the Pakistan's biggest trade shows to be held in Expo Centre Karachi.
Addressing the members of the Pakistan Institute of International Affairs (PIIA) on "Turkish Foreign Policy and Current Challenges" here on Monday, he said that Turkey is one of the fastest growing economies in the region. He was of the view that the United Nation's Security Council has failed to resolve burning global issues including Syria. He pointed out that over 80,000 Syrian people have entered Turkey and 4,000 people are entering their country daily due to prevailing law and order situation there.
He said that turkey is facing the same situation with regard to refugees as Pakistan had faced after Russian attack on Afghanistan. He pointed out that Turkey's GDP grew by 8.9 percent in 2010 with average growth rate of 6.7 percent during last decades. This year the GDP growth rate is expected at around 4 percent, he added. "We have witnessed an inflow of over one billion dollars of foreign direct investment in the country", he said.
He said Turkey is a secular state and religion does not interfere in the state affairs. "Islam has been part of our society but on individual level and not the government and institutional level", he said. He was not agree with the perception that the Turkish policy has been shifted from West to East. "We are functional democracy and promote values and we have very close ties with the Western countries", he said. "We believe on dialogue to resolve any issue", he said.