Turkish Land Forces Commander Receives Pakistan's Military Honor

By Aamir Latif

Pakistan on Monday conferred one of its highest military awards upon Gen. Selcuk Bayraktaroglu, commander of the Turkish Land Forces.

President Asif Ali Zardari conferred the Nishan-i-Imtiaz or Order of Excellence (Military) upon Bayraktaroglu at a ceremony at the President's House in the capital Islamabad in recognition of his "illustrious" services and contribution towards strengthening defense relations between Turkiye and Pakistan, state-run Radio Pakistan reported.

Foreign diplomats and high-ranking military authorities also attended the award ceremony.

The Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Military) is the highest award that can be awarded to the heads of service chiefs, including top foreign military officers.

Earlier, this month, Pakistan also conferred the Nishan-i-Imtiaz (Military) upon Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Metin Gurak.

Turkish-Pakistani ties

Later, Bayraktaroglu called on Zardari to discuss matters pertaining to defense cooperation between the two countries, said a statement from the president's office.

Zardari said that Pakistan is proud of its relations with Turkiye, which has always supported Islamabad on "core" issues.

He also highlighted the need for boosting people-to-people contacts, as well as promoting cooperation in the areas of agriculture, education, art, and culture to bring the people of Pakistan and Turkiye closer.

Zardari said that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is a "true and sincere friend."

Bayraktaroglu, for his part, reiterated the desire to further improve defense cooperation with Pakistan.

He said that both countries could significantly contribute to the promotion of regional peace and stability.

The meeting was also attended by Pakistan's Army Chief Gen. Asim Munir. -