Turkish Victory Day celebrated

Ambassador of Turkey Ihsan Mustafa Yurdakul hosted an event celebrating Turkey’s 97th Victory Day in Islamabad recently.

Also known as Armed Forces Day, the event is celebrated annually on Aug 30 to commemorate the 1922 Battle of Dumlupinar in the Turkish War of Independence.

Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan was invited as a guest speaker to the event. Both speakers spoke about the strong ties between Turkey and Pakistan.

Mr Khan said: “I take this opportunity in the presence of the representatives of all the great nations present here. I’m certain that the world community will play its effective role for the resolution of Kashmir issue as per the United Nation Charter. I am sure you will take immediate measures in response to the atrocities that are being committed in Indian Occupied Kashmir.”

He said Pakistan was proud of its time tested friendship with Turkey, adding: “It is our desire to further augment these relations. The contemporary challenges facing both countries entail greater collaborations between the two nations to march together for prosperity.”

Ambassador Yurdakul said: “This is a joyous day for us, a day of victory, but we feel that we are not celebrating it alone, because Pakistanis have a significant contribution to this victory 97 years ago. Believe me, we still remember and cherish the sacrifices you have made back in those days. We will live on with those sweet memories in our hearts.”

Mentioning the Great Offence launched under Ghazi Mustafa Kemal’s command on Aug 26, 1922, he said: “Our nation broke the slavery chain, with this legendary [achievement] on Aug 30 and proved to the entire world that our independence is above and beyond anything. The great victory, which heralded the Republic of Turkey, our ultimate state, was the revival of the Turkish nation.”

In two corners of the large hall where the event was held, videos of joint exercises between the armed forces of both countries were being screened.

Following the speeches, guests were invited to enjoy traditional delicacies, a fitting way to conclude the festivities with the Turkish ambassador.

Clean-up drive in Diplomatic Enclave

The embassies and high commissions of Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States gathered to launch DiploGreen, a community-wide collaboration to raise environmental awareness, starting with a clean-up and recycling campaign in the Diplomatic Enclave.

Employees of the missions and volunteers held a two-hour drive ending with a session at the Canadian High Commission.

High Commissioner of Canada Wendy Gilmour said: “Our goal is to raise awareness about the environment. Today, the diplomatic community came together to clean and recycle our way to a healthier environment for us all. We are all impacted by environmental issues. It is imperative that we continue to work together across geographic and political boundaries to protect our natural surroundings.”

The French Embassy reiterated its commitments, as the embassy has started banning single use plastic utensils at events and plans to implement recycling procedures. The French Embassy is also studying the adaptation to partly renewable energy through solar panels.

The German Embassy has been cooperating with Saaf Suthra Sheher for the collection and recycling of waste and launched a communications campaign to raise awareness about environmental awareness.

Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2019