Turkey’s foreign minister arrives in Pakistan

US should reconsider its alliances in Syria: Turkish FM

Turkey’s Foreign Minister said early Friday that Washington should reconsider its alliances in Syria as the Assad regime prepares to launch a bloody offensive on northwestern Idlib province.In a letter to The New York Times titled 'A Looming Disaster in Syria', Mevlut Cavuşoğlu warned that the YPG terrorist group has struck an alliance with Bashar al-Assad and is sending troops to help him recapture Idlib from the rebels.“The alliance has grown deeper since senior leaders of the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces, spearheaded by the YPG, held formal talks with the Syrian regime to carve out a place for themselves in the new Syria,” he said."Having YPG forces operating from Syria, just miles from the border of Turkey, is untenable. It’s time for Washington to assess who its real allies in the region are."Located near the Turkish border, Idlib province is home to more than 3 million Syrians, many of whom fled from other cities following attacks by regime forces.The Syrian regime recently announced plans to launch a major military offensive in Idlib, which has long been controlled by various armed opposition groups.As a result, Turkey has been reinforcing its military presence on the border with Syria.The UN has warned that such an offensive would lead to the "worst humanitarian catastrophe in the 21st century".Cavusoglu also emphasized in the letter that the YPG is the Syrian affiliate of the PKK, which has led a violent terror campaign in Turkey for more than 30 years and that Turkey, the U.S. and the EU have listed the PKK as a terrorist organization.In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK has been responsible for the deaths of some 40,000 people.US appoints ‘PKK commander’ to spearhead attacks against Syrian opposition in IdlibGerman, Russian foreign ministers to discuss SyriaTurkish FM meets Chinese envoy, Iraqi Turkmen leaderTurkey's UN envoy demands immediate cease-fire in IdlibLet’s stop the civil war in Syria’s Idlib: Turkish FM

Turkey seeks to deepen ties with Pakistan

Ankara's ambassador to Pakistan on Thursday hailed strong relations between the two countries, ahead of Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu's visit to Islamabad.Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Mustafa Yurdakul said: “Pakistan and Turkey already enjoy exemplary and historic relations based on heritage, culture, religion and there are very strong bonds.”Cavusoglu will arrive in the Pakistani capital late on Thursday for a two-day visit.During his visit the Turkish foreign minister will meet his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi, President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan.This is the the first visit by a top Turkish official to the country following the formation of the new government.Yuradkul added that the Turkish government's aid campaigns and the joint defense projects of both countries bear witness to the strength of bilateral ties.In February, Turkey opposed a move by the U.S. and U.K. in a Paris meeting of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to place Pakistan on a list of countries which have failed to stem terror financing.Last month, Pakistan stood behind Turkey to oppose the "unilateral sanctions imposed by the U.S. on Ankara over the detention of an American pastor over terrorism charges".- Student exchange programsThe number of Pakistani graduates from Turkish universities is set to increase in the coming years.“The numbers of Pakistani students are increasing in Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus which show both countries have very close people to people contact and we wish to strengthen it even more through education programs," the ambassador said.- FETO schoolsThe Turkish government has opened an office of Maarif Foundation in Islamabad for the smooth takeover of FETO-linked schools in the country.“We are working closely with Pakistani authorities in order to transfer FETO schools to Turkey,” Yurdakul informed.Pakistani authorities say some local have filed cases against the handover in courts and the government is waiting for the verdict.Turkey established the Maarif Foundation in 2016 to take over the administration of overseas schools linked to Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO).FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the July 15 coup attempt in Turkey, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.Ankara also accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, including the military, police, judiciary, and schools.- Trade relationsThe trade volume between Turkey and Pakistan was around $650 million by the end of 2017, while Turkey intends to improve this volume to $1 billion."Pakistan and Turkey are not competitors but two brothers and we want to improve our trade relations with Pakistan to increase the current volume from millions to billions of dollars,” Yurdakul said.

Pakistan's ex-PM Sharif, daughter released for his wife's funeral

Pakistani authorities on Wednesday temporarily released former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter from prison to attend funeral services for his wife, Kulsoom, who died of cancer the day before in London.Video footage from Geo TV showed Sharif walking through Islamabad's airport amid tight security to be flown to the eastern city of Lahore, near the family home.The former premier and his daughter have been given parole for 12 hours but the government of Punjab province is considering an extension so they can attend the funeral on Friday. The body is due to be flown back from London on Thursday."Initially, we released them on parole for 12 hours but the application they have given to the Punjab government is for five days and we are considering it," provincial law minister Muhammad Raja Basharat told Reuters.Ousted as prime minister last year by the Supreme Court over some undeclared income, Nawaz Sharif was in London with Kulsoom this year when a separate anti-graft court handed him a 10-year jail term in absentia over the ownership of luxury flats in London in the 1990s.Maryam Sharif, his daughter and presumed political heir, was sentenced to seven years in prison on related charges.Both Sharifs said they had broken no law and there was no proof the residences were purchased with money from corruption.The father and daughter left Kulsoom's bedside to return to Pakistan to rally their followers ahead of a July 25 general election. Both were arrested on arrival and have been imprisoned since.Sharif's party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, which had been in power for five years, lost to the party of former cricket star Imran Khan.Khan on Tuesday extended condolences to the Sharif family.Three-time-premier Sharif, who was removed from office in each of his elected terms, has maintained that his most recent ousting in July 2017 and subsequent conviction were part of a plot against him by the military and the judiciary.The army has repeatedly denied any interference in politics, while the courts insist justice is carried out impartially.

Turkey’s foreign minister arrives in Pakistan

Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu is first top Turkish official to visit country after new government formed