Erdogan: "It is natural that Pakistan and Turkey help each other during tough times"

It is natural that Turkey and Pakistan help each other during difficult times, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday. Speaking at a ceremony in Pakistan to distribute 1,600 Turkish Red Crescent tents to flood victims, Erdogan said that Pakistan didn't forsake Turkey during its War of Independence or after the devastating August 1999 earthquake. "It is natural for the people of these two countries to help each other in such times, as they love each other," he added. Erdogan said Turkey wants to help meet Pakistan's needs, do infrastructure work, and leave behind permanent projects. Turkey and Pakistan can seek more military, political, economic and commercial cooperation, he added, as well as joint investments in transportation, energy, agriculture and construction. Since summer floods killed nearly 2,000 people and left more than 18 million people homeless, Turkey has sent humanitarian aid worth $25 million to Pakistan. Delivering a speech in the flood-stricken Multan region, Erdogan said that as in Turkey, there are also forces seeking to tear apart Pakistan. "I hope the Pakistani people will preserve their unity and integrity," he added. "You should not allow those who aim to spoil Pakistan's unity to succeed. You should work to build a stronger Pakistan."