Pakistan would welcome a visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to the country, President Arif Alvi said Wednesday.

Speaking to the Anadolu Agency (AA), Alvi said that the two countries have a very deep, long-lasting relationship. "In terms of the Muslim Ummah, this relationship dates back to 14 centuries ago, and in terms of being a state, it has existed since the establishment of Pakistan. In terms of peoples, there has been a relationship since the middle of the 19th century. In the 1880s, when Türkiye went through the Russian war and earthquakes etc., Muslims in Pakistan also generated funds and sent people to fight along with the Turkish people in different wars."

"So, there is a deep understanding and deep relationships, irrespective of who comes into power, between the two countries. This momentum has been going on for a long time. I believe there is mutual love."

Emphasizing that Pakistan would welcome a visit by Erdoğan, he said: "The fact that countries cooperate more and more -- it is getting very important today because the world is changing. The world is in flux and, therefore, those friends who have been together, need to recement those ties, need to look at the world in the new era in a new way. All of us are surprised by the war in Ukraine, for example. And we want peace and Mr. Erdoğan's role as far as peace is concerned and the prime minister of Pakistan's role in looking for peace. I think all these things are important. Further cementing of relationships and mutual investments that's what we should be looking for.

"The strategic understanding of what is happening around Türkiye, as well as around Pakistan, is important. The fact that the thinking of the Muslim Ummah should be together. That will always be on the agenda. The fact that our ties are demonstrated to become closer is important for the people of Pakistan and Türkiye," Alvi added.

Alvi said his country does not want to be a toy in anyone's hands as Pakistan is an independent country. Islamabad wants good relations with everyone as the world is going through economic turmoil, he said and added: "Pakistan is not looking for any polarization and does not want to be in any camp."

Türkiye's relations with Pakistan have developed on the basis of close friendship and brotherhood since the establishment of Pakistan as an independent state on Aug. 14, 1947, according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Türkiye and Pakistan. The support extended by the Muslims of the subcontinent to the Turkish War of Independence has a special place in the minds of the Turkish people. Türkiye’s success in establishing a modern state after the war has been a source of inspiration for the Pakistani people.

Following Pakistan's establishment, reciprocal high-level visits helped develop friendly relations further, while the two countries' support for one another during challenging times such as after natural disasters led to the deepening of close relations between the peoples. The relations between the two countries have been institutionalized with the establishment of the High-Level Cooperation Council in 2009, which was later upgraded to the level of High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council.

The sixth meeting of the council was held in Islamabad during Erdoğan’s most recent visit to Pakistan on Feb. 13-14, 2020. On the occasion of the visit, 13 documents were signed, including the joint statement and the "Strategic Economic Framework." The next council meeting is scheduled to be held in Türkiye.

Alvi visited Türkiye on Aug. 15-16, 2021 to attend the launch ceremony of the first of four MILGEM-class corvette ships built by Türkiye for Pakistan. Pakistan's former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi visited Türkiye to attend the Antalya Diplomacy Forum which was held between June 18-20, 2021, at the invitation of Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu.

Çavuşoğlu recently paid a visit to Islamabad to attend the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Foreign Ministers Council meetings held on March 22-23, 2022. Erdoğan congratulated Shahbaz Sharif on his election as prime minister on April 11, 2022, by phone on the same day.