Why does Pakistan have an affinity for Turkey?

[ZeEa5KPul]

I have a few questions for the Pakistani members here. I've noticed in my time here that a lot of Pakistani members have a (to me) strange affinity and cultural closeness to Turkey. I can't say if it's something that generalizes since I don't know many Pakistanis and their views about Turkey have never come up in conversation. So, my first question is is this affinity widespread among Pakistanis?

This bonhomie is something that I've noticed runs deeper than just affinity for a fellow Sunni Muslim state. For instance, I've never noticed Pakistanis here express similar feelings for Morocco or Algeria. Maybe Saudi Arabia, but that's more explainable by the large Pakistani diaspora there, its wealth and support of Pakistan, and its custodianship of Islam's holy sites. Turkey can't be explained in this way. What, in your opinion, is the reason for this closeness?

Also, and this has irked me somewhat, I see Turkish armaments held in higher esteem here than they should be. Pakistanis here seem to view them as equal, or superior to, Chinese weapons. That's simply false - Chinese weapons are more technologically advanced and far more price competitive. The only exceptions to this (and only on the technology front) are when Turkish manufacturers partner with European ones - in which case Pakistan is just buying the European stuff by proxy.

Turkey doesn't give Pakistan any special financial, diplomatic, or military support. Why the love?

 

[mudas777]

Think like that once we had a very bad earth quake and a Turkish little boy goes to his teacher and asks for a loan so he can donate for our earth quake fund it says it all. Love for Turks and vice versa runs deeper then a outsider can understand and you need to read the history of support for each other over the last 100 years.

We are proud that Turkey have progressed in many fields and we inspire to achieve the same. When Turkey develops some system we feel comfortable buying from them as we had terrible experience from so called other friends.

 

[Kaniska]

I have a few questions for the Pakistani members here. I've noticed in my time here that a lot of Pakistani members have a (to me) strange affinity and cultural closeness to Turkey. I can't say if it's something that generalizes since I don't know many Pakistanis and their views about Turkey have never come up in conversation. So, my first question is is this affinity widespread among Pakistanis?

This bonhomie is something that I've noticed runs deeper than just affinity for a fellow Sunni Muslim state. For instance, I've never noticed Pakistanis here express similar feelings for Morocco or Algeria. Maybe Saudi Arabia, but that's more explainable by the large Pakistani diaspora there, its wealth and support of Pakistan, and its custodianship of Islam's holy sites. Turkey can't be explained in this way. What, in your opinion, is the reason for this closeness?

Also, and this has irked me somewhat, I see Turkish armaments held in higher esteem here than they should be. Pakistanis here seem to view them as equal, or superior to, Chinese weapons. That's simply false - Chinese weapons are more technologically advanced and far more price competitive. The only exceptions to this (and only on the technology front) are when Turkish manufacturers partner with European ones - in which case Pakistan is just buying the European stuff by proxy.

Turkey doesn't give Pakistan any special financial, diplomatic, or military support. Why the love?

I think culturally and as a Muslim nation they are very close to each other...If i am not wrong, there are some historical reason for their closeness too...Pakistan members can shed some light on these topics...

 

[maithil]

This affection runs both ways. Right from the time of Khilafat movement. And yes, Turkish systems are indeed superior to Chinese ones.

 

[nahtanbob]

I have a few questions for the Pakistani members here. I've noticed in my time here that a lot of Pakistani members have a (to me) strange affinity and cultural closeness to Turkey. I can't say if it's something that generalizes since I don't know many Pakistanis and their views about Turkey have never come up in conversation. So, my first question is is this affinity widespread among Pakistanis?

This bonhomie is something that I've noticed runs deeper than just affinity for a fellow Sunni Muslim state. For instance, I've never noticed Pakistanis here express similar feelings for Morocco or Algeria. Maybe Saudi Arabia, but that's more explainable by the large Pakistani diaspora there, its wealth and support of Pakistan, and its custodianship of Islam's holy sites. Turkey can't be explained in this way. What, in your opinion, is the reason for this closeness?

Also, and this has irked me somewhat, I see Turkish armaments held in higher esteem here than they should be. Pakistanis here seem to view them as equal, or superior to, Chinese weapons. That's simply false - Chinese weapons are more technologically advanced and far more price competitive. The only exceptions to this (and only on the technology front) are when Turkish manufacturers partner with European ones - in which case Pakistan is just buying the European stuff by proxy.

Turkey doesn't give Pakistan any special financial, diplomatic, or military support. Why the love?

some of the Muslim rulers of ancient India were of Turkic origin. Hence the affinity with anything turkish

 

[Talwar e Pakistan]

I really do not know, there just exists a special connection, it's evident even here abroad.

It could be that we are both non-Arab Sunni Hanafi-majority states. We have also historically supported each other; our Grandfathers and Great Grandfathers deserted, defected or were executed when they heard they would be fighting the Ottoman Caliphate. We funded and to an extent, supplied the Turkish independence movement; many of ours Grandmothers and Great Grandmothers have scars from when they ripped jewelry off their ears in haste to contribute to the war effort.

Turkey supported us in our wars against India and diplomatically supports us on Kashmir, we supported them on Azerbaijan-Armenia, Cyprus and Bosnia; during Bosnia, we were militarily involved while in the Azerbaijan-Armenia war we covertly funneled in volunteers and weapons.

 

[ZeEa5KPul]

And yes, Turkish systems are indeed superior to Chinese ones.

Name one indigenous Turkish system superior to a Chinese system.

 

[Talwar e Pakistan]

some of the Muslim rulers of ancient India were of Turkic origin. Hence the affinity with anything turkish

There is a significant difference between "Turkic" and "Turkish".

 

[Telescopic Sight]

Hilarious co incidence . In another thread ( it's trending right now), Pakistani mods have shut down Turks very severely and harshly , just to make chinese members feel better.
Turkish members are protesting this partiality to Chinese members, but in vain.

So nothing is as straight forward as it seems. The boss is more important than the brother.

 

[Clearly]

I am Pakistani and not old enough to explain historical context of this love but I have been to Turkey 3 times and going again in April because its the best country for me in the world after Pakistan. Turks know hospitality like no other and it actually feels like home. I am sure everyone Pakistani or not, would feel the same if they have in contact with them and been to Turkey. But one thing I noticed during our trips was that they gave us special celebrity treatment when they would find out we are from Pakistan, I didn’t know the reason but when I asked some fellas they would say because Pakistan is brother, I never get this with Arabs. I dont mean to generalise but thats just my observation.

C*

 

[ZeEa5KPul]

Love for Turks and vice versa runs deeper then a outsider can understand and you need to read the history of support for each other over the last 100 years.

I'm honestly interested to learn more about this history. Because if its support for "100 years" (Pakistan only came to existence in 1947, so how are they 100 years?), China has supported Pakistan much more extensively than Turkey. China supplied Pakistan with its nuclear deterrent, without which it would have been annexed by India.

 

[Mamluk]

Turkey, Afghanistan and Central Asian 'stans' are the only non-Arab Sunni Hanafi states.

The Central Asian states have culturally diverged because of a century of communist rules.

Afghans hate us. We don't like cavemen either.

We have other similarities with Turkey. We are both frontier Muslim states - at the boundaries of the civilization. Both founded by reformers who tried to emulate Western model of development. Turkey did things right and turned themselves into a newly industrialized country.

And they support our position on Kashmir.

 

[ZeEa5KPul]

Hilarious co incidence . In another thread ( it's trending right now), Pakistani mods have shut down Turks very severely and harshly , just to make chinese members feel better.
Turkish members are protesting this partiality to Chinese members, but in vain.

So nothing is as straight forward as it seems. The boss is more important than the brother.

It's because of that thread that I'm asking this question here. I have a very different view of what happened there and what side the Pakistani mod took.

 

[maithil]

Name one indigenous Turkish system superior to a Chinese system.

Any system produced by Rokestan and Aselsan is much better than Chinese produced ones .

 

[ZeEa5KPul]

Turkey, Afghanistan and Central Asian 'stans' are the only non-Arab Sunni Hanafi states.

I'm not familiar with the term "Hanafi", would you please explain it?