PM Shehbaz attends Turkish President Erdogan's inauguration ceremony

• Erdogan elected for third term since first taking oath in 2014.
  
• PM Shehbaz facilitates Erdogan during ceremony.
  
• Chief executives of Turkish business groups called on PM Shehbaz.
  

ANKARA: Joining other world leaders in celebrating Recep Tayyip Erdogan's presidential election run-off win, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Saturday attended his inauguration ceremony.

On behalf of Pakistani government and the nation, the premier congratulated Turkey President Erdogan, who has been in power since August 2014 and has entered his third decade, for winning the polls and reelection for the third term.

The two leaders exchanged greetings and shook hands during their meeting at the ceremony where PM Shehbaz was joined by Information and Broadcasting Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, who also felicitated President Erdogan.

Turkiye's national anthem and traditional music was played during the grand ceremony where the re-elected Erdogan was accompanied by his wife Emine Erdogan.

In his remarks on the occasion, the Turkish president thanked his nation for electing him for another term. He urged the country's people to forge unity and work towards a better future with collective effort.

“Democracy in Turkey is strong. We will strengthen it further,” he said, adding Turkey wanted good relations with all countries and would play its role for peace and security in the world.

President Erdogan thanked leaders of the countries, including PM Shehbaz, for attending his inauguration ceremony. High-level officials from 78 countries attended the swearing-in ceremony.

The ceremony at the Presidential Complex was attended by 21 heads of state, 13 prime ministers, as well as parliamentary and ministerial-level representatives, and representatives of international organisations, including the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS), NATO and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Earlier, President Erdogan took oath in the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye and began his new term. He received his mandate from the Temporary Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkiye, Devlet Bahceli.

After taking the oath, Erdogan visited Anitkabir. He hosted guests at a dinner at the Cankaya Palaca, the former home of Turkish presidents, after the ceremony. 

The Turkish president won a presidential runoff election last Sunday with 52.18% of the vote. Opposition candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu received 47.82%, according to final results released by the country’s Supreme Election Council.

PM Shehbaz meets Turkish business groups

Meanwhile, chief executives of Turkish business groups called on the PM Shehbaz during his Turkey visit, after which he invited them to invest in Pakistan and establish strategic collaboration in sectors of energy, agriculture, information technology (IT) and construction.

During the meetings, the PM outlined the government’s vision to facilitate foreign direct investment and encouraged joint ventures. Their exchanges spanned around expanding trade and investment ties to maximise mutual gains from available opportunities in Pakistan and to enhance cooperation in key sectors of the economy through the direct presence of Turkish enterprises and via joint ventures with Pakistani counterparts.

It may be recalled that after the signing of the historic Trade in Goods Agreement by the two countries in August last year, which became operational on May 1, new opportunities for trade of traditional and non-traditional products have emerged between the two countries. 

Therefore, for the effective utilisation of these opportunities, the PM urged Turkish companies to invest in Pakistan, assuring them of complete facilitation and a conducive business environment.

The prime minister also held separate meetings with leading Turkish companies that have already invested in Pakistan including Anadolu Group, Arcelik, Zorlu, Albayrak, Limak, Dolsar, Turkish Contractors Association and Pak Yetirim.

During the meeting, the PM encouraged them to benefit from an investment-friendly environment and to expand their operations. The Turkish companies briefed him on their existing and future plans for investment while thanking him for facilitating their operations in Pakistan.

A considerable number of Turkish enterprises are already operating in Pakistan in various sectors and have contributed to the economic development of the country.

Nevertheless, there are opportunities for cooperation and collaboration in the areas of energy; especially hydro and solar, housing and construction, infrastructure, tourism, and transportation. During a meeting with Sinan Ak of Zorlu Group, the two sides discussed projects regarding wind power and solar energy.