ISLAMABAD: Senate Chairman Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani on Tuesday invited over Turkish businessmen to invest in Gwadar free economic zone and benefit from the economic potential of the development activities in the country. He expressed these views while talking to a delegation of Turkish businessmen including parliamentarians. Pakistan Turkey Friendship Group Chairman Senator Talha Mahmood and Senate Secretary Amjad Parvez Malik were also present in the meeting. Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani said that Pakistan and Turkey have time tested relations and are connected through religious, cultural and historic bonds. He said that Pakistan cannot forget the support provided during the earthquake in Pakistan by Turkey. Sadiq Sanjrani said that the cooperation of Turkey in social and economic development of Pakistan is also unprecedented. He said that Pakistan is well aware of the refugee problems being faced by Turkey at the moment due to unrest in Syria, as “we have experienced the same issue since many decades, because of the Afghan refugees”. He said that Pakistan would provide all out support to Turkey in this crisis. He said that Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA) meeting is scheduled to be held during the last week of October in Gwadar. Turkey is currently the president of APA and “we would appreciate the participation of delegates from Turkey including the parliamentarians and businessmen”. He said that both the countries have supported each other on international fora and “we are hopeful that parliamentary relations would further enhance people to people contacts”. He said that the parliamentarians on the both sides should benefit from the forum of friendship groups in respective parliaments towards enhancing the bilateral economic and social ties. Speaking on the occasion, Senator Talha Mahmood apprised that he recently visited Syrian refugee camp on the border of Turkey on the eve of Eid and sloughed more than 700 animals including sheep for the refugees. The head of delegation apprised the senate chairman about the problems being faced due to Syrian refugees’ issue. He said that Turkey and Pakistan were not geographically connected but “our hearts are very close to each other that is why historically we are called two countries and one nation”. The delegation comprised of Hassan Kara, Mayor Kilis, Turkey, Mustafa Hilmi Dulger, Member of Parliament / Chairman of Security Agencies, Ekram Alhamdo, Adviser to Governor Kilis, Aboud Al-hussein, President, Al-Sham Association, Muhammad Ad?n shin, Advisor to MP Dadaap Kenya, Waqar Badshah, President, Pakistan-Turkey Friendship Foundation. The head of the delegation apprised the chairman of senate that they have held meetings with Ansar Aziz, Mayor Islamabad, Secretary Incharge Board of Investment and other high ranking government functionaries to explore possibilities of investment and cooperation in different sectors. Published in Daily Times, September 19th 2018.