Daily Times

In a positive development for the country’s entertainment industry, Pakistan and Turkiye on Saturday agreed to telecast popular Turkish drams, like Ertugrul Gazi, in the South Asian country.

The development came during a meeting between Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Turkish Presidency’s Head of Communications Fahrettin Altun in Istanbul.

During the meeting, both sides discussed important issues including strengthening cooperation in the media sector, promoting public diplomacy and eliminating Islamophobia.

They also discussed measures to counter disinformation and misinformation, exchanged media delegations, and prepared joint productions. They also agreed to telecast Turkish dramas like Ertugrul Ghazi in Pakistan, including a joint broadcast of PTV and Turkish state TV TRT.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and the Turkish Directorate of Communications also agreed to form a working group and appoint focal persons from both sides.

The minister said that Pakistan and Turkiye have historical and fraternal relations and that there are vast possibilities for cooperation in the field of media.

Tarar said public relations would be more stable with enhanced media cooperation between the two countries.

Cooperation and joint ventures in the field of entertainment and tourism were also discussed in the meeting.

By preparing joint productions between Pakistan and Turkiye, the cultural exchanges between both countries will be enhanced, Tarar said, adding, “We have to make the young generation aware of the historical relationship between Pakistan and Turkiye”.

The federal information minister invited Professor Altun to visit Pakistan.

Professor Ultun expressed a keen interest in the development of media in Pakistan.

He said Turkish drama Ertugrul Gazi gained great popularity in Pakistan and Pakistani artists and musicians were very popular in Turkiye. Media cooperation in both countries will help in the fight against Islamophobia and misinformation, he remarked. The minister thanked Professor Altun for the coverage of the issue of Jammu and Kashmir in Turkish media.