Shaukat Hayat Buneri
PAKISTAN and Turkey are not exactly children on a playground. They are both modern nations and there aren’t any best friends at an international level. However the relations between Pakistan and Turkey have always been great. The reason being that this is not a relationship that is based on selfish interests. It is not a relationship of give and take. Each has helped the other when they had nothing to offer back in return. To truly understand this relationship and why it is so special, one must go back in time and study the moment when this relationship began. In the early 16th century the exiled king of Ferghana, Babur, took the city of Kabul and made it his stronghold. At the same time the Persian Safavid Empire was expanding into Central Asia and was causing massacres. Against them stood Ubaydullah Khan with the Uzbek tribes united under his banner. The Safavid Empire was a rival of the Ottomans to the west. The Ottoman Sultan, Selim I, was providing Ubaydullah and his troops with modern weaponry. Both sides wanted assistance from Babur.
However, Selim I turned Babur against him after he demanded that Babur accept his state of Kabul as a vassal to the Ottomans. Babur would not have this. The sons of Timur served no one. Babur stood against Ubaydullah Khan but lost the battle. In the aftermath of the battle, Selim I realized his mistake. To prevent Babur from forming an alliance with Safavid, he made amends. The Ottomans would provide Babur with artillery, modern weaponry and experts to utilize these new weapons. This Turkish artillery force of Babur’s army would become his greatest asset. It would be crucial in defeating Ibrahim Lodhi at the Battle of Panipat despite being outnumbered. From the aftermath of this battle and the ashes of the Delhi Sultanate would arise the Mughal Empire.
The Ottoman artillery that would turn the tide of battle. From then onwards, the relationship between the Mughal Empire and the Ottoman Empire would only improve. While the Mughals would never accept the Ottoman authority within their own empire, the Ottoman Sultans and later Caliphs would always be treated with respect. The respect between the two empires would be shown by trading gifts regularly. There would be some ups and downs within the relationship but as a whole the two empires respected each other. Another factor that would unite the two great empires was the Persian Safavid Empire, which served as a rival to both. The South Asian Muslims have always had a warm relationship with the Turkish people. This would carry on during the time of the British Raj and the fall of the Ottoman Empire. After the loss in the first world war and the announcement of the subsequent Treaty of Sevres, a protest would begin in South Asia in favor of the Ottoman Empire. This was the Khilafat Movement. This was supposed to be a show of solidarity towards the Turks. This protest would be a major hassle for the British till the abolishment of the Caliphate by the Turks themselves.
Khilafat movement protest: During the Turkish war for independence, the Muslims of the Subcontinent sold what little they had to help finance the Turkish military. This was at a time when there was no one else who was standing by the Turks. It is hard to tell just how much help this was to the Turkish military but the intent cannot be ignored. People that had next to nothing would sell their little heirlooms and jewelry just to help out their brothers and sisters that they felt solidarity with from over a thousand miles apart. These people expected nothing in return for their help and yet they all thought their sacrifices to be worth it. Turkey was one of the first countries to recognize Pakistan, as soon as it came into existence in 1947. Turkey would also help it become a member of the UN. Pakistan’s founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, greatly admired Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and wanted Pakistan to follow a similar path towards modernism. Since then the two countries have always stood by and supported each other regardless of the cost or reason. Pakistan has still not recognized Armenia despite the fact that this gains Pakistan nothing. All of this is done to support Turkey and Azerbaijan. Turkey on the other hand has supported Pakistan on the Kashmir issue. Whenever there is a natural calamity in Pakistan, Turkey is one the first countries to offer their help. And whenever Turkey needs help, Pakistan is always willing to do so.
Joint military training in Azerbaijan: In recent years the two countries have started to forge even closer bonds. This includes military defence deals between the two countries and combined training. I believe that both countries have realized that neither really have many friends in the world. So both countries have tried to come closer as they both know that this is one relationship that will not be broken. This is what makes this relationship different from all of the other ones that Pakistan has with other countries. It is a relationship that has withstood the test of time. It is not just based on Islam or any cultural similarities. It is based on mutual trust that has proven itself over the course of over 500 years. It is unlikely that China, UAE, Saudi Arabia or anyone else will be able to match that. All international relationships change with time but as history has proven, this brotherhood between Pakistan and Turkey is here to stay.
—The writer is freelance columnist, based in Buner, KP.
