Mon 30 September 2019:
Turkey’s president on Sunday attended a dual ceremony commissioning a new Turkish naval ship while starting construction of a ship set to be sold to Pakistan’s navy.
In his speech, Erdogan said he hopes the Kinaliad, an Ada-class corvette, will benefit the Turkish nation and its sailors and further hopes Pakistan, a friendly sister nation to Turkey, will also benefit from the ship whose construction started today.
In July 2018 Pakistan’s navy signed a contract for the acquisition of four MILGEM-class ships from Turkey.
Pakistan Navy Commander Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi and Erdogan cut the first metal plate of the first of the four MILGEM Ada class corvette during the ceremony.
Erdogan told the audience that Pakistan-Turkey relations had great potential for cooperation in the field of defense production.
Referring to the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, Erdogan said the world should know the sufferings of Kashmir.
He likened the situation of Kashmir to Palestine and added that more than 8 million Kashmiris are braving Indian atrocities in an open-air prison on their territory.
Erdogan declared that he would continue to raise the Kashmir issue and the sufferings of the Kashmiri people.
Admiral Abbasi in his speech, described the project as another proof of Pakistan-Turkey brotherhood.
He briefed the guests on the latest situation in Jammu and Kashmir that is under Indian administration.
Abbasi talked about the toxic Hinduvta ideology in India and its threats to regional and international peace.
He emphasized that Indian cruelty has risen to new levels after the Indian government’s decisions on Aug. 5, 2019, which are against the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and international law.
The admiral expressed his sincere thanks to the Turkish president for raising the Kashmir issue in the UN General Assembly and added that the people of Pakistan and Kashmir owed unwavering support to Turkey.
MILGEM anti-submarine combat frigates, which can be hidden from the radar, will join the Pakistan Navy, which will further enhance the defense capability of the Pakistan Navy.
While two corvettes will be built in Turkey, the next two will be built in Pakistan through technology transfer.
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