The Yunus Emre Institute, Islamabad, in collaboration with DOST (Pakistan–Türkiye Friendship Forum), hosted an Iftar dinner at Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU), Islamabad, bringing together Pakistani and Turkish friends to celebrate the spirit of brotherhood and cooperation between the two countries. The Yunus Emre Institute has been working in Pakistan for many years. It is a cultural center established by the Government of Türkiye to promote the Turkish language, culture, and people-to-people relations. Yunus Emre Institutes operate in many countries around the world, and Pakistan is unique in hosting four centers, reflecting the deep-rooted shared history, religion, culture, and long-standing brotherhood between the two nations.

Prof. Dr. Halil Toker, Country Director of Yunus Emre Institute and a strong advocate of Pakistan–Türkiye relations, was the main host of the dinner along with Dr. Farooq Adil, Chairman of DOST Forum, and Dr. Zahid Majeed, Secretary General of the Forum. The Chief Guest of the event was Mr. Huzaifa Rehman, Minister of State / Special Assistant to the Prime Minister, while the Guest of Honor was H.E. Dr. Irfan Neziroğlu, Ambassador of Türkiye to Pakistan. A large number of participants from Pakistan and Türkiye attended the event, including representatives from journalism, media, education, literature, poetry, and the business community.

Prof. Dr. Halil Toker thanked all participants for honoring the event with their presence and emphasized that the Yunus Emre Institute will continue organizing such gatherings to promote culture, history, and language between the two brotherly nations. He also shared the planned activities for 2026, including initiatives to strengthen and promote the DOST Forum.

Dr. Farooq Adil, Chairman of DOST Forum, highlighted the objectives of establishing the forum. He noted that neighbour county actively promote their culture and narratives internationally; therefore, it is important to establish a strong platform to promote Pakistani culture and language in Türkiye and to strengthen bilateral cultural cooperation. He emphasized the role of media, including television dramas and films dubbed into Turkish, to showcase Pakistan’s culture, history, and the deep-rooted friendship between the two countries.

Dr. Zahid Majeed, Secretary General of DOST Forum, presented the planned activities for 2026, outlining initiatives aimed at strengthening academic, cultural, and intellectual cooperation between Pakistan and Türkiye. Mr. Huzaifa Rehman, Minister of State / Special Assistant to the Prime Minister, expressed his appreciation for the event and highlighted the Government’s commitment to strengthening ties between Pakistan and Türkiye. He appreciated the efforts of the Yunus Emre Institute in building strong cultural and academic connections between the two nations and assured the Government’s support for initiatives of the DOST Forum. He also encouraged the submission of a formal proposal outlining activities through which the Government could support efforts to promote Pakistani culture and language in Türkiye.

H.E. Dr. Irfan Neziroğlu, Ambassador of Türkiye to Pakistan, expressed his happiness at seeing Pakistani and Turkish brothers and sisters gathered together. He thanked the Yunus Emre Institute for organizing the Iftar dinner and presenting the Ilahi, a traditional Turkish spiritual performance. He reiterated that the Government of Türkiye always stands with Pakistan in times of need, whether during natural disasters or in other areas of cooperation. He further shared that the Turkish Embassy in Islamabad continues to work actively to strengthen connections between universities, institutions, organizations, and people of both countries.

The event concluded with a beautiful Ilahi performance by Turkish students and Yunus Emre Institute staff, led by Mr. Eren MIYASOGLU, a Turkish Language Teacher at the Yunus Emre Institute, Islamabad, which added a spiritual and cultural touch to the evening.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)