- Title: Turkish president arrives in Pakistan on two day visit
- Date: 16th November 2016
- Summary: ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (NOVEMBER 16, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF POSTERS ALONG ROAD WELCOMING PRESIDENT RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN POSTER WITH TURKISH PRESIDENT RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, PAKISTANI PRIME MINISTER NAWAZ SHARIF AND PRESIDENT MAMNOON HUSSAIN ON, READING (English) "WELCOME PRESIDENT RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN" ALONG ROAD POSTERS ALONG ROAD
- Embargoed: 1st December 2016 13:43
- Keywords: Erdogan Pakistan Turkey official visit
- Location: NUR KHAN AIRBASE, ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN
- City: NUR KHAN AIRBASE, ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN
- Country: Pakistan
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA00158P2P1J
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:EDITORS PLEASE NOTE THIS EDIT CONTAINS MATERIAL THAT WAS ORIGINALLY 4:3
EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: PART AUDIO AS INCOMING
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived on Wednesday (November 16) on a two day official visit to the Pakistani capital Islamabad at the invitation of President Mamnoon Hussain.
The Turkish president and the first lady, Emine Erdogan, were welcomed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif upon their arrival at the Pakistani airforce base, Nur Khan.
Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, federal ministers, diplomats and other high-ranking officials were also present to welcome President Erdogan.
While the Turkish President has been to Pakistan on a number of occasions, this would be his first bilateral visit to Pakistan since assuming office, a press release from the Pakistani Foreign Office said.
Besides meeting with President Mamnoon Hussain, President Erdogan will be holding talks with Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and addressing a joint session of Parliament.
Pakistan ordered Turkish teachers at schools with alleged links to a Turkish cleric opposed to President Tayyip Erdogan to leave the country, in preparation for Erdogan's visit.
The teachers and their families, totaling about 450 people, were given three days notice to leave, PakTurk International Schools and Colleges said in a statement late on Tuesday (November 15).
PakTurk educates more than 10,000 students in Pakistan and denies any affiliation with the cleric Fethullah Gulen, or his "Hizmet" movement.
Erdogan has accused Gulen, a former political ally, of being behind a coup attempt in July, and Turkey has previously asked Pakistan to shutdown any groups in the country that have links to the cleric.
Before his departure from Ankara, Erdogan praised Pakistan's actions against what his government calls the Gulenist Terror Organisation (FETO).
Gulen, who lives in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania, preaches Sunni Islam together with a message of interfaith dialogue. He denies any involvement in the failed coup in which more than 230 people were killed.
Turkey has applied pressure to other countries that are home to Gulen-backed institutions. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
