All eyes were set on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan when he landed in Islamabad Wednesday on a two-day visit of Pakistan.
Erdogan’s visit holds special significance due to Pakistan’s geopolitical position and Ankara’s rising ambition of emerging as a leader of the Islamic Umma.
Pakistan is also close to Saudi Arabia, which has helped it with billions of dollars of aid, besides massive investment despite its economy being in the doldrums.
Interestingly, Riyadh too nourishes the dream of becoming the leader of the Islamic Umma.
Why Pakistan Is Important For Turkey
After meeting his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Erdogan jointly chaired “the 7th Session of the Pakistan-Turkiye High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC)”.
The delegations of the two sides held detailed discussions on many issues and signed 24 agreements.
The MoUs were signed in sectors of banking, finance, culture, tourism, energy, defense, agriculture, transportation, communication, IT, health, science and technology, and education.
Erdogan Pays Tribute To Slain Pakistani Soldier
Erdogan paid tribute to Pakistani security personnel and civilians killed in militant attacks.
Islamabad has held the the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan responsible for these attacks.
What Did Erdogan Say On Kashmir?
The Ministry of External Affairs mandarins kept an eye on the visit.
Erdogan said that Jammu and Kashmir is a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan and the two countries should resolve it by holding talks, keeping in mind the aspirations of the people of Kashmir.
Earlier too, the Turkish President raised the issue of Kashmir on many occasions, but he has always suggested that the issue should be resolved by the two countries.
Does Turkey Want To Lead Muslim Umma?
Turkey is trying to hold a strong grip on the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the 57-member body that claims to be “the collective voice of the Muslim world”.
It also claime to work to “safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony”.
There is a tussle between Turkey and Saudi Arabia to hold control of the OIC so that they can claim to be the leader of the Muslim Umma.
In an attempt to claim the leadership of the Muslim Umma, Erdogan keeps on raising the issue of Jammu and Kashmir.
However, the MEA mandarins in India heaved a sign of relief after the Turkish president did not go beyond suggesting a peaceful solution of the problem.
India-Turkey Trade Soars
Analysts believe, this might have disappointed Pakistan, which wanted a stronger statement on the issue.
However, experts believe, Ankara does not want to anger India at as it wants to boost economic cooperation and bilateral trade with New Delhi.
According to government data, the bilateral trade between India and Turkey stands at about $10.4 billion. While India exported goods worth around $6.66 billion, it imported roughly US$ 3.78 billion.
Turkey wants to increase it, rather than antagonising India.
