We stand by you, Gen Raheel tells Turkish counterpart

E-Paper | March 12, 2026

ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif on Monday assured his Turkish counterpart, Hulusi Akar, of unflinching support in the face of daunting challenges, and condoled the recent twin blasts in the Turkish capital that killed over a hundred people attending a peace rally.

On a three-day visit to Turkey beginning Monday, General Raheel visited the headquarters of the Turkish Land Forces, where he met the Turkish army chief and discussed "enhanced cooperation" on the future direction of counter terrorism, DG ISPR Asim Bajwa said in a series of tweets on Twitter.

The army chief told his Turkish counterpart that he understood "the enormity of their challenges" and "stood by them".

Upon his arrival, the army chief was presented a guard of honor by the Turkish Land Forces.

General Raheel also laid a wreath at the mausoleum of Kamal Ata Turk at Ankara during his visit.

He expressed hopes of "surmounting challenges with a common and coherent approach," adding that the relationship between the two countries was "time-tested and eternal".

The COAS was also awarded the Turkish Legion of Merit for his services in establishing regional peace and courageously handling terrorism with clarity in direction.

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jaatboy

Oct 12, 2015 08:15pm

Two predominantly islamic countries, one already plagues with terrorism while the other is catching up

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Zak

Oct 12, 2015 08:18pm

Thank you Raheel Sharif!!

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kamran

Oct 12, 2015 08:23pm

Great work done by our General

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Dr.Arshad

Oct 12, 2015 08:26pm

Good step taken by Gen.Raheel. It,s equally important that Pakistan and Turkey distance themselves from corrupt middle eastern monarchies and focus on science,technology,education and overall development. Pakistan has lost its three precious decades by being closer to middle east. Turkey and Pakistan must adhere to the philosophies of their founders.Gone are the days when religion was used for gaining power and prestige.

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Prateek

Oct 12, 2015 08:30pm

Formation of Kurdistan is the solution of Turkey's problem.

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A common pakistani

Oct 12, 2015 08:31pm

let's see what Pakistan role will be in Middle east politics. Muslims have to design a strategy to stop this massacre of Muslims in every Islamic country.

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Rick_james

Oct 12, 2015 08:35pm

We Pakistanis stand by our Turkish brothers and sisters.

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Zak

Oct 12, 2015 08:35pm

Pakistan and Turkey is a time tested friendship. Brothers in arms.

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Waseem

Oct 12, 2015 08:37pm

God bless Gen Raheel.

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Dr.Arshad

Oct 12, 2015 08:38pm

@ A common Pakistani-----and especially when some Muslim countries themselves are involved in killing of innocent people of other Islamic countries!

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Muhammad Usman

Oct 12, 2015 08:39pm

Thank you General Raheel Shareef! Always there to represent Pakistan

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Muhammad Usman

Oct 12, 2015 08:40pm

@Prateek Formation of Independent Kashmir is more of a problem

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Taimoor Khan

Oct 12, 2015 08:54pm

Pakistan needs to be diplomatic about this considering the very fragile middle east situation. Yes we are with Turkish people as far as terrorism is concerned as we, the Pakistanis, are the most terrorized nation in the planet. However, when we say, "We stand by you", the meaning and context of this can be interpreted in some other way by some nations involved in middle east imbroglio. We really dont want to give any wrong signal to Russia with whom, after such a long time, the relations are improving and we are in talks with them about purchase of Advance fighter jets. Pakistan must not lose it focus when it comes to long term national interests, which now lies with two Asian giants, namely China and Russia.

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Qamar

Oct 12, 2015 09:00pm

@Prateek like the formation of Kashmir is the solution for India and Pakistan

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Saani

Oct 12, 2015 09:01pm

@Prateek first give independence to Assam Kashmir and many other states inside India then talk about Kurdistan

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Muddasser

Oct 12, 2015 09:08pm

When we have earthquake or floods turkey is always the first country to help with infinite generosity..When we had APS attack in peshawar turkey observed 1 day of mourning. Pakistan must observe 3 days of mourning to express solidarity with our only true friend. Love Turkey

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Main Adnan

Oct 12, 2015 09:12pm

Two brotherly nation having long shared history need to work together to overcome each other problem. To promote peace and stability in the region.

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Ijaz

Oct 12, 2015 09:12pm

@Prateek Are you insane? I have visited Turkey at least 20 times. More than 50% of the population of Istanbul is ethnically Kurdish. They have absolutely no desire to separate from the Turkish republic. PKK are supported by a handful of militants and being encouraged by western forces in Iraq. Pakistan should stand shoulder to shoulder to shoulder with Turkey and help her fight the menace of terrorism be it ISIL, Taliban or PKK

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Ijaz

Oct 12, 2015 09:14pm

@Taimoor Khan No I disagree. Pakistan should stand by Turkey against ANYONE BE it PKK, Greece, ISIL or Russia.

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A common pakistani

Oct 12, 2015 09:22pm

@Dr.Arshad That happens when Muslims stop giving each other basic-human rights. A large majority of Muslim population is suffering from depravity from their own Muslim brothers/sisters. Unless, Muslims will change their discriminatory thinking towards their fellow Muslims, such massacre will not go away. I see hypocrisy in Muslim's mindset for no one else but for his own Muslim brother/sister.

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krow

Oct 12, 2015 09:30pm

First save baluchistan,similar thing happened in the history of Pakistan rememberd

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MHamza

Oct 12, 2015 09:36pm

He is the Bravest and most loved man in Pakistan

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Muddasser

Oct 12, 2015 09:39pm

Pakistan stands by its only true friend i.e. Turkey.

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Rouf

Oct 12, 2015 09:51pm

@jaatboy In Pakistan's case the Dervidians to the East are sponsoring and took over the fake darma and will be dealt with firmly soon. Turkey was on the list. All predicated 1400 years ago, but evil will not last long.

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azkhan71

Oct 12, 2015 09:53pm

An honor for Pakistan to have Gen. Raheel as COAS!! Pak Turk Dosti Zindabad!!

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Azhar

Oct 12, 2015 09:54pm

We are sad what happened in Turkey. What Pakistan can do, we are having many our problems. All or many hide outs in India and UAE. Rest in Europe.

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lafanga

Oct 12, 2015 10:06pm

@jaatboy How about two predominantly Muslim countries plagued by terrorism from their neighbours to the East. One almost got rid of all of it and other one just starting.

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Taimoor Khan

Oct 12, 2015 10:16pm

@Ijaz And how many of so called Muslims countries came to our practical help when we lost 50000 of our citizens and still counting in this war of terror? Dont want to sound bitter, but this the harsh reality. When no one came to our help, when no one even paid a lip service to our deads, I find it rather disrespectful to my country and its people that we should jump in someone else issues.

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Changez_Khan

Oct 12, 2015 10:26pm

General Raheel Sharif is the Greatest General Pakistan ever had. Thanks Pakistan Armed Forces.

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Sonny Afridi

Oct 12, 2015 10:33pm

Pakistani and Turkish people, military and government are hand in hand, one in one with each other. Long live the brotherhood.

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Woz Ahmed

Oct 12, 2015 10:39pm

Respect to Turkey, the only Muslim country that has stood up to the persecution of Muslims in China, all true Muslims salute you.

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Ronny

Oct 12, 2015 10:43pm

@Saani Do you really know where Asaam is ?

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furhan qureshi

Oct 12, 2015 10:44pm

@Dr.Arshad I couldn't agree more! thank god more people are thinking this way! I'm also glad both militaries of both countries are adhering to democracy and human rights! god bless them both!

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furhan qureshi

Oct 12, 2015 10:45pm

@Taimoor Khan russians are liars and barbarians. they have always been pro india. i wouldn't put too much faith on any serious pro pakistan-russian relations. pakistan will only have itself to rely on. that's how it goes...

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M Akram

Oct 12, 2015 10:47pm

Very timely and courageous words of a support for a country of friends. Where are our politicians and government? Where is the foreign office? COAS is not only proving to be strong military man but also a politician who is able do and say the right thing at the right time. A truly remarkable Pakistani of our times.

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Dr.Shahmir Baloch

Oct 12, 2015 10:47pm

With the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, the Kurdish-majority territories were divided between the newly formed states of Iraq, Iran, Syria and Turkey, making Kurds a significant ethnic minority in each state by western powers, under the Sykes-Picot Agreement,with the partition of the Ottoman Empire once World War had ended, thereby denying kurds with a national state. There fore kurds has long suffered by the hands of their own muslim brethren in these countries, where they are the minorties today. With out being biased, turkey's problems are self inflicted by denying kurds their due rights especially suppression of their language and culture and are marginliased economically by these muslim states for the last many decades, resulting uprising of kurds in the form of nationalist movements for a separate state to safegaurd their interests.

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AXH

Oct 12, 2015 10:48pm

@Taimoor Khan - I agree with you. No one came to our help when we were bleeding, especially, the so-called "brotherly" countries. We need to form alliances but without unnecessarily indulging into any confrontation. General Raheel is an astute leader and we need him more than ever now.

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Patriot

Oct 12, 2015 10:54pm

OMG!! Unbelievable, Is this really necessary now? Pakistan just started developing good relationship with Russia. Turkey and Russia are on opposite side on Syria, With this unconditional support to Turkey, any relationship with Russia is dead.

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Sonny Afridi

Oct 12, 2015 11:01pm

Long live Turkiye and Pakistan

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Malik

Oct 12, 2015 11:07pm

Pakistan must come out of its policies of the eighties and stop appeasing USA, UK, Saudi, Turkey and the likes. For Gods sake Turkey is a NATO member, this means we stand with NATO? We should play it straight and stand where our interests lie, with China, Russia and Iran.

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Oct 12, 2015 11:20pm

I don't think the bombings had anything to do with Kurds. Even in Suruc, it was the IS that did it. Sadly Turkey is at the crossroads and a serious risk from IS.

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Iqbal

Oct 12, 2015 11:31pm

@Qamar Well replied Qamar...

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Saira Durrani K, Austin,TX

Oct 12, 2015 11:33pm

Gen.Raheel another Musharraf in the making.

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Secular Pathan

Oct 12, 2015 11:37pm

Gen Raheel Sharif payed his respect to Mustafa Kemal Attaturk. Wow, this is amazing. This shows the secular and modern progressive inclination of our Chief. Too bad Erdogan is ruining a great secular Turkey. Please make Pakistan a Secular Democratic Welfare State. Jinnah also admired Attaturk.

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sana-2

Oct 12, 2015 11:37pm

Wow.....Pakistan is surely blessed to have such a good COAS and i salute PM Nawaz for choosing such a gem! We stand by turkey and i'm sure we will help them much in combating this fight as our forces are MashaAllah very experienced in this....

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A common pakistani

Oct 12, 2015 11:38pm

@Malik Will the rival camp accept that shift without any objection? Pakistan should have balanced relationships with all the countries. Moreover, do arabs like to fight a war on their own?

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jinka

Oct 13, 2015 12:13am

@Dr.Arshad I agree, we have no business with Arab nations they are corrupt, uneducated and backward.

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Mehtab

Oct 13, 2015 12:38am

Pakistan plagued by terrorism after Afghanistan war when our Army trained "Mujahideen"Whereas Turkey supported militancy in Syria by training and financing militants. When you put someone else's house on fire then you should be ready for same fate. Flawed government policies.

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nadeem

Oct 13, 2015 12:54am

seems like turkey will reap for what they have ploughed in iraq similary what pakistan is reaping out of afghanistan

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Oct 13, 2015 12:56am

ok, general stand by him, send him some good taalibans along with manual, packaged in green.

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truthbetold

Oct 13, 2015 01:01am

@jaatboy Turkey is not an Islamic country, it is the only secular country witg Muslim majority and most of the muslims from Turkey are very open minded. My business partner and my best friend is from Turkey. Trouble started happening recently in Turkey because of the right wing Islamic parties gaining more power. Turkey is also on the path of doom like Pakistan if radical Islamic parties use democracy to come into power, just like Egypt.. I don't know why people from these regions can't see this fact.

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BRIJ

Oct 13, 2015 01:35am

Does Army Chief know that Turkey has shot down one Russian Fighter Jet? By standing with Turkey, he is irritating Russia and Iran.

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A common pakistani

Oct 13, 2015 02:14am

@Patriot That's called making a mountain out of a molehill.

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Taimoor Khan

Oct 13, 2015 02:18am

@furhan qureshi Well, there was time when American was pro Pakistan as well and now completely in Indian camp and hardly care about our interests against Indians. Russians have been watching all this Indian honeymoon with yanks, and with Ukraine issue and their heating up of relations with western/European civilization, they are seeking new partners. The CPEC is not just China-Pakistan project, there are strong indication that Russia might as well join this to gain access to warm waters of Arabian sea. Russia is feeling besieged from its west by NATO, and looking south towards warm waters of Arabian sea for its news markets specially for its energy sector. Times have changed. We in Pakistan needs to change as well. We dont need to get involved in matters which dont concern us specially to nations with which we might have strong trade ties in future.

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Pragmatist

Oct 13, 2015 03:06am

Turkey does not deserve any sympathy because it is getting burned by the sparks flying from the fire it had lit and stoked. Who ever trains and arms murderers to kill ones own brother?

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KeyPoints

Oct 13, 2015 03:26am

@A common pakistani Excellent suggestion. Yes, time has to think & take action to prevent massacre & killing. It seems more than a million muslims have been killed & about five million displaced during last 25 years. Time to think clearly, why its happening and who is doing it to muslims. Time to prove that muslims are intelligent enough to understand motives behind killings, and capable to stop it as soon as possible. May Almighty help muslims all around the world. (Ameen).

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Pakistani

Oct 13, 2015 03:28am

Turkey is paying for its miss deeds too. What they been doing to Kurds.

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Malik

Oct 13, 2015 03:52am

@A common pakistani I respectfully disagree. The West and their intel. agencies sponsored colored revolutions in the middle east for their own interests, viz regime change and destruction of capabilities of states around Israel. Our so called brotherly Muslim countries such as Saudi arabia, Qatar, UAE, Jordan and Turkey, all have their own vested interests in that scenario. Balanced approach? Do you think we should say yes to supporting Daesh and other terrorists coz thats what they are doing. Aren't Yemenis and Iraqis and Syrians our brothers too? China, Russia and Iran are supporting the Syrian Govt. of Bashar al Assad. China just introduced yuan international payment system and dollar is going to go down soon. There is so much stuff in geo politics it'll take pages upon pages, plz do some objective research. The west's agenda is to divide Muslims into Shia and Sunni or ethnic camps, we must stand tall on principles.

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Umer Salahuddin

Oct 13, 2015 05:00am

Pakistan stand with Turkey at this moment of grief and sorrow and pray for those innocent martyrs killed by these so called Muslims who are creating terrorism in the name of Islam.

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MeriDoBaat

Oct 13, 2015 05:30am

Raheel seems to have more, better managed, better publicised, and successful (???) overseas jaunts than the PM of the nation. You gotta wonder who is running the country and what is the role of the other person (PM)? Finally what is the purpose of these trips all over the world, cos per protocol he is not going to meet the elected civilian leadership who run the country..

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Syed zafar Kazmi U.S.A

Oct 13, 2015 05:34am

@Changez_Khan Surely, he is the greatest general, COAS in the history of Pakistan because he is rendering a selfless service to the nation without looking for any personal gains and so long as he continues doing this, he would occupy an unforgettable space in the history of our blighted nation.

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Syed zafar Kazmi U.S.A

Oct 13, 2015 05:40am

@Malik While the general is good like gold for Pakistan, it is really tragic and would not bode well if he has to run the foreign policy as well. Foreign policy is and must be strictly the domain of civil government but alas do we have one single name all across the nation who can fill this office.

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rana1

Oct 13, 2015 05:44am

Turkey is a NATO ally,i do not see how government of turkey could be friendly with pakistan.

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Freeman

Oct 13, 2015 06:35am

Say sorry to honorable guest if he asks to jump into Syria mess. We already have a lot of our own to clean.

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Oct 13, 2015 06:48am

@Dr.Arshad agreed yet i also think that it should not be a zero sum game - meaning that greater cooperation with Turkey (that I absolutely agree with) should not happen at the expense of alienation with the rest of middle east. however these 2 countries can be powerful change agents for the rest of the region.

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Oct 13, 2015 07:02am

this bombing has to be part of a sick agenda to bring down the current turkish government, which by all account is probably the most democratic and progressive one. there is a big western agenda to bring it down. PKK and the so called secular humanitarians are just a tool used by western powers to cause cracks in Ardogan's government as they were successfully able to do in the last election. a similar bombing happened before the last election and later they learned that PKK did it but it was too late as the election had already happened. i think same thing is happening again.

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Oct 13, 2015 07:02am

Ardogan's government is taking huge steps to have Turkey be a leading force (economical and political) in the world. they are trying to address historical handcuffs (bosphorus treaty) by actually changing the direction of bosphorus, threatening regional air traffic by building world's biggest airport in istanbul and so on. these are just a few examples. they are the leading vocal muslim voice on many issues, whether standing up to Israel, or questioning CHina on the treatment of uyghurs, or caring for Rohingya muslims. No other Muslim nation has the guts to do what Turkey and Ardogan has done so YES, i fully support Gen Raheel to provide all support to Turkey.

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M. Jan

Oct 13, 2015 02:10pm

@Prateek -Liberation of Kashmir is also overdue.

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A common Pakistani

Oct 13, 2015 04:19pm

@Malik whatever objective research you have done, it will be futile, because Pakistan is practically on its own, and whichever side it takes, apart from some defense agreements etc. the war is Pakistan's own to fight. The rest of your diatribe is sadly stolen from the same conspiracy mantra, Pakistan needs to do real work, not start building castles in the air based on some far fetched conspiracy theories, anyway whatever you have typed in your response is not something I have heard for the first time. I repeat again, leaving one camp to join another is not going to work in Pakistan's case because it is Pakistan's own homework to do for itself. About daesh, I think that snake is now biting every muslim country, so your argument is incommensurable that we should feel coward before daesh because it owes its allegiance to no muslim country, it is made by khawarij.

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A common Pakistani

Oct 13, 2015 05:37pm

@Malik Abandoning one camp to join another will not do Pakistan any good, because Pakistan is practically on its own, has been handling disasters after disasters without much outside world. It is time to accept the fact, it is Pakistan's own war for survival at this point, irrespective of what any super power did in the past whose mess we are cleaning up ( most of it is owed to Pakistani's administration own failure to make any strategy). The rest of your diatribe seems to be inspired by some conspiracy theories, it is about time we also came out of these conspiracies conjectures as well, because only real concrete work can tackle any so called conspiracy. As far as the daesh matter is concerned, you seemed hasty in assuming that I suggest Be`seech´ment before it as daesh does not owe its allegiance to any Muslim country, they are( in plain words) khawarij. It does not need any research to see that the action desirable is Pakistan's own homework.

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sachin

Oct 13, 2015 07:52pm

There is no brotherly countries. When two neighbors in Lahore or Karachi or Delhi are at each others throat and hate each other, even brothers of same mother fighting each other for property and land...... What is this childish fantasy of "brothers " with countries ??? Countries have only one agenda- self interest and mutual partnership. All political establishments of Islamic countries are nervous and scared about this rise of an armed Islamic group which will challenge their own grip on power. COAS is killing these Islamic fighters and hence Pakistan is seen as an asset by the world. India could not have hoped for a better and honest COAS. Best wishes from India and quickly follow a secular progressive and liberal agenda.

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