ISLAMABAD: Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood has reminded that Turkish citizens from all walks of life and across political spectrum showed courage and rendered sacrifices to protect their democratic government and institutions during the aborted coup attempt of July 15, 2016.
Sohail, who was serving as Pakistan’s ambassador in Ankara then, was an eyewitness to the events overtaking Turkey on July 15.
“On July 15, Turkish citizens from all walk of life and across political spectrum showed courage and rendered sacrifices to protect their democratic government and institutions,” he told the gathering here Monday at the residence of Turkish ambassador Mustafa Yurdakul where the memory of July 15 events were observed.
Pakistan was one of the first countries (Under Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif) condemning the coup attempt and entire Pakistani nation stood with their Turkish brethren, Sohail Mahmood recalled without taking name of Prime Minister Nawaz. Both Houses of Pakistani parliament had unanimously passed a resolution to express solidarity with Turkey and condemned the failed coup attempt.
Sohail Mahmood was posted as high commissioner in India from Turkey before becoming Foreign Secretary. Turkish Ambassador in Islamabad Yurdakul paid tribute to the martyrs and said Turkish people sacrificed their lives to protect democratic system in the country. “The coup plotters used the Turkish armed forces' tanks and jets against its own people, shelled on innocent civilians and bombed vital government functions -- including the parliament, intelligence building and national police buildings, Yurdakul recalled.
The Turkish ambassador thanked Islamabad for handing over all FETO-linked schools to the Turkiye Maarif foundation. “Various countries, Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC), the Asian parliament and Supreme Court of Pakistan have declared FETO a terrorist organisation,” Yurdakul noted. He asked international community to realise that FETO is neither a social movement nor a charity organisation.