The people of Türkiye and Pakistan are two very close nations that support one another, always think positively about each other no matter what and are connected by a cordial bond. Pakistanis and Turks have a special place in each other's hearts, like all brotherly entities, including Azerbaijan, the Balkans, Africa, the Caucasus and other parts of the world who are devotedly faithful to Türkiye.

A lesson I learned about traveling abroad, first in Sudan many years ago: Regardless of how much one reads about a country and finds out from afar, one cannot correctly define the country without stepping into it. After arriving in the country and spending a few days, one starts to hear the voice of the country in the world much better. This lesson has applied to almost all the countries I have been to since then.

Naturally, I had a similar expectation when I stepped into Pakistan. My trip took 10 days. However, it was not enough time to comprehend Pakistani politics, state administration and the relations between social layers. Pakistan has managed to maintain its mystery during the entire course of my stay.

Naturally, when people look at another country, they use their own country, which they know well, as a reference point. However, I realized that if one tries to understand Pakistan by comparing it, for instance, to a Western nation-state model, the presuppositions might drag one astray.

The Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a nation-state. It has a population of almost 250 million. The socioeconomic differences and relations between the state and within social strata also remind us of some cultural remnants inherited from India.

Pakistani people are composed of many ethnic groups living together. There are fundamentally four provinces that also contain four major influence groups. The country resembles India and Indian culture on the one hand, and Islam distinctively dominates on the other hand. There are, unfortunately, severe imbalances in income equality.

We usually develop our perspective to evaluate a country according to the government's power, the state's operations, and the problems at the forefront of development. Pakistan is rich in natural resources, vegetation, and water potential, but it could not achieve the prosperity it deserved, as in many countries with a colonial background. We realize once again the value of the wealth Türkiye has built, and it's been spreading the state investments equally to all regions.

Turkish mission institutions

We usually stop by the Maarif Foundation, the Yunus Emre Foundation or the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) with journalist enthusiasm, besides the consulates in the countries we visit. Because visiting such Turkish mission institutions gives us a clear picture of the relationships between the people and Türkiye.

The Maarif Foundation has spread widely in Pakistan. It has schools in all provinces. In a way, when we saw the excitement of Pakistan-Türkiye friendship there, the enthusiasm for learning Turkish in schools, and the respect and love for Turkish teachers and representatives. We once again noted the Pakistan-Türkiye relations as "ayn-el yaqin" (with the eye of certainty).

Türkiye is a bit shy and hesitant to see itself as an example for developing countries, mainly due to being suppressed by the West. Türkiye is a better example and more developed in many areas, including e-government implementations, access to the health system, and water and energy management, compared to many developed Western states.

I think that our businesses, states and people should see the potential of Türkiye better and try to carry this potential to friendly countries. The steps taken by the government, especially the effectiveness of the mission institutions, will perhaps contribute to strengthening the relations between the two countries in the future.