At a farewell gathering befitting his eventful tenure in Qatar as the ambassador of Turkey, Ahmet Demirok lauded the visionary leadership of the State of Qatar and Qatar’s prime role in working towards ushering in a peaceful solution in the region.
The outgoing ambassador of Turkey was addressing the guests at the farewell dinner hosted by the Pakistani community at Shangri-La Hotel, Doha. Dignitaries present at the occasion included ambassadors of China, Belgium, Indonesia, Malaysia, Palestine and Vietnam. At the event organised by Pakistani community leaders Ashraf Siddiqui and Saleem Bangash, Mustefa Saoug, Acting Director General, Al Jazeera Network, correspondents of international media, leading Pakistani and Turkish business professionals and community members were among those who attended.
Ambassador Demirok said that Turkey enjoys close brotherly relations with Qatar as well as with Pakistan. “Our relations are completely free from any kind of vested interest. The leadership and the people of our countries are connected with strong bond of sincerity and common faith from centuries,” he said. Demirok said that Pakistan, Turkey and Qatar enjoy almost the same understanding and share a common stance on all international and regional issues.
The Turkish envoy praised the close brotherly relations between Turkish and Qatari leadership which he said only supported him in carrying out his responsibilities amicably and successfully. Demirok also thanked the Qatari leadership and the people of Qatar for their support and for strongly standing by Turkey in difficult times, especially after the failed coup attempt last year in Turkey.
Ambassador Demirok extended special thanks to Siddiqui for his efforts in bringing Turkish and Pakistani community members together. In his speech, Siddiqui, head of the organising committee of the event, in turn extended his special thanks to the outgoing Turkish envoy Demirok and other distinguished guests for accepting their invitation. He praised the close brotherly relations between Pakistan, Qatar and Turkey, and also thanked the management of the Shangri-La Doha for their co-operation and efficient arrangements.
Talking about historically close relations between Pakistan and Turkey, Siddiqui told Community, “Both countries are like one soul with two hearts. Such gatherings are always an enriching experience, as it’s also a platform for Pakistani professionals and the business community to come forward and build relations with others in this age of networking. Qatar is like a family in itself, and we all get to meet people from across communities, give our regards and pay respect to each other. That is the beauty of the country.”
Rashid Butt, President of Pakistan Muslim League Welfare Forum Qatar, in his speech, referred to several interesting incidents that pointed to the closeness shared between the Turkish and Pakistani people.
For the occasion, a special cake emblazoned with Turkey’s and Pakistan’s flag was made by Shangri-La Doha. The cake-cutting ceremony was joined by Pakistani community leaders Idrees Anwar, Saleem Bangash, Rashid Butt, along with Mohammad Riaz, President of Pak Engineers Forum Qatar; Riaz Bakali, out-going President Pakistan Welfare Forum Qatar; Sher Ali; Mohammad Atiq, Chairman of Majlis Farog-e-Urdu Adab Qatar; Janan Bangash, Pakistani community representative to the government of Qatar; and Saud Shah Roghani.
Back in April 2015, in his interview with Community, Demirok had said, “Be it Turkey-Qatar relations in politics, business, trade, cultural, educational, science, or any field, things are constantly improving. For me, as the Turkish ambassador, all doors in Qatar are open. That’s why I believe we can take our relations even further.”
Explaining that the 500-year-old history shared by Qatar and Turkey is at the heart of the cultural fascination shared between the two nations, Demirok had said, “Arabs and Turks are not different people. We have a common history and we share the same religion of Islam. Our cultures are more or less the same, our attires are different. But unfortunately, after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, there was a disruption in Turkey’s relations with the Middle Eastern countries. Now, as public diplomacy has assumed great importance in promoting one’s country, Turkey is carrying it out wonderfully well. Qataris are really nice, modest people, who know how to treasure their tradition, which is important.”
Ambassador Ahmet Demirok giving his speech before the cake-cutting ceremony.
