PM seeks Turkey's guidance in wiping out extremism

E-Paper | March 08, 2026

ANKARA: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday said Pakistan would seek help and guidance from Turkey in effectively wiping out the menace of extremism from the country.

The prime minister stated this in a meeting with Turkish Interior Minister Muammer Güler and other Turkish high security officials in Ankara.

Prime Minister Sharif said Pakistan would learn from the success story of Turkey's police as his government had taken initiatives to deliver on all fronts, a press release from the PM House said.

He expressed the hope that Pakistan would implement an effective counter-terrorism strategy with joint cooperation from Turkey.

“Turkey is our trusted friend and has come out of the same crisis we face today,” Prime Minister Sharif said.

“We have the potential to deliver, and we will deliver,” he said.

The Turkish minister said Turkey could extend help to Pakistan in controlling cyber crimes and tackling the issue of radicalisation.

He added that Pakistan had vast human resources and the right type of training and education would help a lot.

The premier said established institutions, corruption free environment, educated population and trained manpower had led to the strengthening of institutions in Turkey.

Güler said extremism could not be countered and defeated through the use of force alone. Social reformation and education could help a lot in this regard, he added.

He said Turkey had worked a lot with the government of Punjab and was ready to extend cooperation to help Pakistan in its fight against extremism.

Pakistan

Why are you luring our Turk brothers to Pakistan to invest? They will be kidnapped for ransom, robbed on the streets or fall prey to terrorist's bullets and our security agencies will look on as helpless spectators. Rid Pakistan of this menace and first make Pakistan safe for the Pakistanis.

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Safdar

Sep 17, 2013 01:16pm

Wrong timing of this visit due to anti-government clashes in Istanbul and Turkey's foreign policy fiasco in both Syria and Egypt. Mr. Sharif, you won't get much out of Erdogan.

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IKE Khan

Sep 17, 2013 02:01pm

Turkey has its own problems now. Its economy is deteriorating and trade deficit is widening. Turkey has lost most of its political gains as a regional player. In other words, Turkey may not be able to help.

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Tariq Khan

Sep 17, 2013 03:29pm

Turkey can help. As the Turkish Minister says, Pakistan needs to tackle education and changing mindset for the new generations. Tackling terrorism will take at least a generation. Private schools and madrassas should all be shutdown and only state backed syllabus taught. At the same time the military needs to invest in training and arms to battle the terrorism scourge destroying the country.

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Sep 17, 2013 03:50pm

The PM needs to grow some spine first because no matter where he goes for an advise, he is the one who will have to implement it and that will require courage or a spine.

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Sep 17, 2013 04:27pm

Let not the PM from the wonderland forget the differences between the two Politicians. One has the guts, will and commitment to face the problem head on, while the other has only the resolve for 'Sri Pai', needed to lead a nation. Unfair to compare apple and oranges. So, we literally are not capable of doing anything on our own; that is the message to the world. What is next, a trip to Malawi?

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Atique

Sep 17, 2013 04:37pm

Before embarking on help from outside Pakistan government needs to get the home work done first. The first step required here is to completely re-organize the Police Force and make it effective.It must be organised on line with British Police so that it is neutral and free from political interference. In past Pakistan Motorway Police had British Traffic Police advisers based in Pakistan for training the Pakistanis. British Police should be asked again to send advisers and make recommendations to re-organize the Pakistani Police.The recommendations then should be implemented without delay.

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pakiboy

Sep 17, 2013 04:41pm

ab turkey say police kiraey par lain gay .. awam ko ullu bananay ki factory lagaee hoee hay ..

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AMT

Sep 17, 2013 04:43pm

Turkey will probably say as a starter get rid of that 1974 amendment. Then come and see me. Over to you Nawaz Shariff.

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Usman Masood

Sep 17, 2013 05:19pm

"Sharm tum ko mager nahin aati"

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Sep 17, 2013 05:29pm

Instead of getting advise from Turkey I would suggest that Pakistan leaders should focus on seperating religion from state as envisioned by Leader of the nation Jinnah. Stop all kind of hate against pakistani citizens. Abolish all discriminatory laws against minorities. Stop funding of exremetists parties by Saudis and other countries and control molvis and mosques from spreading hate against pakistani citizen. Pakistan can unite and progress only if it can seperate religion from state. Turkey is successful because of its secular constitution imposed by Ataturk and not because of Mr. Erdogan.

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faisal baloch

Sep 17, 2013 06:07pm

@Safdar:yes, and erdogans time is almost up any way..

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Syed Ahmed

Sep 17, 2013 07:35pm

There are already various shades of people with different schools of thought in Pakistan, involving Turkey shall bear no fruit. One has to stand on their own feet and resolve their problems.

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I. Ahmed

Sep 17, 2013 08:13pm

First, the PM and his team asked Malyasian government on running of PIA and general governance, now Turkey has been asked how to tackle extremism. If this government stays for full 5 years term, we will end up seeking advise from Afghanistan as well! In 3 months this government has done nothing but lip-service they are bereft of ideas and actions that are required to govern a country. They are behaving like businessmen whose business is not doing well and asking consultants to solve the problem for a share of the business. Somehow these politicians give us the idea that they are incompetent to govern, the question that begs to be answered is why they participate in the general elections?

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saadi

Sep 17, 2013 08:41pm

There must be commission to get advice from turkey. Pm old habit to seek commision on just abt anything. They dont want to bring peace. Since they won't make much money if people start to critisis them....lanat hey asey pm per

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asghar khan

Sep 17, 2013 08:43pm

Just leave on government everyone know his buissness well

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saadi

Sep 17, 2013 08:41pm

Turkey used to get advise from us.since when we become illiterate to seek advise or help from them.if PM cannot control dayange virus.whatelse can u expect from him

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Karachi Wala

Sep 17, 2013 09:37pm

@Safdar: "Mr. Sharif, you won't get much out of Erdogan". And Pakistan will not get much out of PML-N.

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Raj

Sep 17, 2013 10:37pm

english education

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SAC

Sep 17, 2013 10:47pm

To my Pakistani Brothers and Sisters For once try positivity... Pakistan is a great country and it will achieve greater heights if we follow Turkey's economic and social reforms... To My Tutk Brothers and Sisters You should be proud of your great country and just remember, you have a second home in Pakistan...

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Nizamuddin Ali Ahmad

Sep 18, 2013 12:41am

Mr. PM, stop the meaningless lip service. Turkey is a vibrant economy with record growth rate of 31 % per year, which is unheard of. Turkey is one nation one religion like Japan and Iran, plus the country is in its re-making for the last 20 years after the Kamali generals were either jailed or died of old ages. Pakistan has Punjab against three provinces, mullahs are on each others throat and the common Pakistani is caught between them. Economy is in shambles and people are scared of their own fellow countrymen. You do not have either guts or means to do it.. This is you third term and still do not know How?. Sad news indeed.

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Shahpur

Sep 18, 2013 12:54am

Turkey has blood of Syrians on its hands, in the sectarian war in Syria. What kind of help Turkey can give.

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Roxana

Sep 18, 2013 01:05am

I hope that Pakistan can benefit from whatever help Turkey can offer. That being said, please be aware of the sense of creeping radicalization within the government that the citizens of Turkey oppose strongly. Those citizens seem to want to keep a definitely secular government. But keep the rights of minorities of all kinds at the forefront.

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Khan

Sep 18, 2013 01:44am

@IKE Khan: I think you need to check your statistics properly. Personal likes and dislikes don't do much good.

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syed

Sep 18, 2013 03:54am

You are so naive Mr.Prime Minister ! Who you are asking help from...?

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kirthrt

Sep 18, 2013 04:13am

Seeking guidance from Turkey indicates that the present PML-N set-up is incompetent and are unprepared to tackle extremist elements as majority of them originate from Punjab. Organizing APC three months after coming to power was a futile exercise and clear proof that PML-N cannot deal with the current situation and are just trying to shift the responsibility on other political parties. Imran Khan has also been a big disappointment an under graduate degree in political science does not qualify a person for leadership role at national level, he clearly lacks in direction and does not understand the demands of the present situation.

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Najeeb

Sep 18, 2013 04:45am

@Safdar: Erdogan and his party himself has fundamentalist base. What help they can extend to curb extremism. Yes They can definitly help Sharifs to curb liberal civil society. Althogh being the off-product of Zia dictatorship Sharifs are already super-trained in it.

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Hanif

Sep 18, 2013 05:35am

Mr. Nawaz Sharif, there is no magic, we all have to work hard, and work selflessly to achieve the goal. Everyone knows how to achieve success, but no one wants to do it. You may ask 100 peoples but if don't want to do the right things, nothing will give you results.

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Nizar

Sep 18, 2013 05:53am

Turkey has helped the Punjab Govt earlier and see what theresult is: Punjab has become the headquaters of Pakistan Taliban. TTP has carried out more attacks against the miltary and other institutions in the Punjab besides Frontier.

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