Decision On Pak-Turk Schools Not To Affect Students: Turkish FM

Umer Jamshaid Published August 02, 2016 | 03:56 PM

ISLAMABAD,(UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 2nd Augst,2016) : Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Tuesday said Turkey in collaboration with Pakistan government was working over a solution to protect the students of Pak-Turk Schools in Pakistan and no adverse decision would be taken to affect their academic career.

"Had both Turkey and Pakistan not been sensitive to students and their families, these schools would have been closed since December 2013," the Turkish foreign minister said in a press conference when questioned about the fate of Gullen-sponsored schools in Pakistan, here at the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

Turkey had declared Fetullah Gullen's organization as terrorist entity following the July 15 unsuccessful coup. Flanked by Advisor to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, the Turkish Foreign Minister expressed satisfaction that Pakistan was fully cooperating over the issue of Pak-Turk schools.

However, Foreign Minister Cavusoglu pointed that there was a need to be "very careful" of the activities of these organizations, which he said could pose a threat to the security and stability of the host country.

Advisor Sartaj Aziz said, "We are going to protect the schools and students of Pak-Turk Schools as these institutions are being professionally managed and providing good education." He said efforts were afoot to find out the arrangement for Pak-Turk Schools to continue their working in Pakistan.

On Kashmir dispute, the Turkish Foreign Minister said Turkey was fully supportive of Pakistan's stance on Jammu and Kashmir, and believed that the issue could be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy, and not with war.

He said Turkey being an active member of OIC Contact Group, had called upon the Secretary General to mobilize the group and also send a fact-finding mission to the valley to assess the situation.