Erdogan says Saudi 'put pressure' on Pakistan to withdraw from Malaysia summit: Turkish media

Published December 20, 2019
Prime Minister Imran Khan and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. — AFP/File
Prime Minister Imran Khan and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. — AFP/File

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that Pakistan decided to stay away from the recently concluded Kuala Lumpur summit because of Saudi Arabia's threats of economic sanctions, Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah reported on Friday.

The meeting was shunned by Saudi Arabia and criticised for allegedly undermining the bigger Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Some analysts also suspected that Saudi Arabia's reluctance to attend stemmed from fear of being diplomatically isolated by regional rivals Iran, Qatar and Turkey, all of whom were attending the summit.

Saudi state news agency SPA also reported that on a call with Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohammad, Saudi King Salman reaffirmed that such issues should be discussed through the OIC.

According to Daily Sabah, Erdogan, while speaking to Turkish media representatives, said that it was not the first time that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates had put pressure on a country for doing or not doing certain things.

“Unfortunately, we see that Saudi Arabia pressures Pakistan. Now, there are promises that the country has given to Pakistan regarding the central bank. However, more than that, there are four million Pakistanis working in Saudi Arabia. They [threaten by saying that they] would send [Pakistanis] back and re-employ Bangladeshis instead,” Erdogan was quoted as saying. He added that the kingdom has also threatened to withdraw money it had deposited in the State Bank of Pakistan.

According to Erdogan, Pakistan had to comply with the Saudi wishes "due to its economic difficulties".

While not directly addressing the Turkish president's statement, the Foreign Office in response to questions from the media said that Pakistan did not participate in the Kuala Lumpur summit because "time and efforts were needed to address the concerns of major Muslim countries regarding possible division in the Ummah".

"Pakistan will continue to work for the unity and solidarity of the Ummah, which is indispensable for effectively addressing the challenges faced by the Muslim world," the FO spokesperson said in a brief statement.

'No representation from Pakistan at summit'

Pakistan was one of the first countries with which Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir had shared his plans for holding the summit when he met Prime Minister Imran along with Erdogan on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session in New York in September.

Later, Imran Khan formally conveyed his acceptance of the invitation for attending the summit when Deputy Foreign Minister of Malaysia Marzuki Bin Haji Yahya called on him in Islamabad on November 29.

Last week, however, reports of Prime Minister Imran cancelling his trip to Malaysia started making rounds. After his visit to Saudi Arabia on Saturday, the premier decided to stay away from the Kuala Lumpur summit. According to reports, he withdrew due to pressure exerted by the kingdom, which had extended a helping hand to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government during its early days to stave off an economic crisis.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had on Tuesday confirmed that there would be no representation from Pakistan at the summit of some 20 Muslim countries, which started in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.

Qureshi confirmed that Saudi Arabia and the UAE had concerns about the summit, saying the two countries were worried that the event could cause “division in Ummah” and lead to setting up of an organisation parallel to the existing Saudi-dominated OIC.

In view of the reservations about the summit, Qureshi said, it was decided that Pakistan would seek to bridge the gap between Riyadh and Kuala Lumpur and if that did not work there would be no participation in the summit.

Prime Minister Imran’s trip to the kingdom was aimed at bringing Saudi Arabia and Malaysia closer and not for getting permission to attend the summit, the minister said at the time.

Opinion

Editorial

Budgeting austerity
Updated 16 May, 2025

Budgeting austerity

The past policy of squeezing salaried classes and fully documented corporations to collect taxes will not work any longer.
A ‘new’ Syria
16 May, 2025

A ‘new’ Syria

THE American embrace of the post-Assad Syrian regime is complete, with President Donald Trump meeting the Arab...
Business of begging
16 May, 2025

Business of begging

IT is a matter of deep embarrassment that Pakistan has become an ‘exporter’ of beggars. Over 5,000 have been...
Rebuilding trust
Updated 15 May, 2025

Rebuilding trust

Both countries will have to restart the dialogue process. One major step India can take would be to honour the IWT.
Political off-ramp
15 May, 2025

Political off-ramp

IN the midst of every crisis, there lies great opportunity. With the nation basking in the afterglow of Pakistan’s...
Awami League ban
15 May, 2025

Awami League ban

BANGLADESH stands at a key crossroads. While the ouster of Sheikh Hasina Wajed’s government and the formation of ...