Turkish president fetes PM Gilani       
ANKARA, Turkey, Dec 7 (APP): Turkish President Abdullah Gul on Tuesday hosted a luncheon in honour of Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani and his delegation.Apart from the Pakistani delegation the luncheon was attended by notables and diplomats.President Gul welcomed the Prime Minister and said Turkey-Pakistan relations were rooted in centuries’ old bonds of history, faith, culture and traditions.“We share a history of mutual respect and close cooperation.Our relations are very special,” he said.Prime Minister Gilani said Pakistanis considered Turkey as a second home and added that it always felt a rare sense of oneness in Turkey.
Gilani recalled President Gul’s last visit to Pakistan in March this year to discuss avenues of future collaboration and said it set the tone for concertizing the bilateral cooperation in different areas.
He also mentioned the visit of his Turkish counterpart Erdogan after the devastating floods in Pakistan and insisted that pace of interaction bodes well for our bilateral relations, which must be maintained.
He expressed gratitude for the government and people of Turkey their generous and timely support to the people affected by floods.  He said the love and affection that poured out of all quarters in Turkey had deeply touched the hearts of Pakistanis.
He said, “It is a matter of great satisfaction that this relationship is strengthening with every passing day. The mutual feeling of friendship, trust and confidence is very reassuring indeed.”
Gilani said his government was keen to build a strong edifice of mutual cooperation with Turkey both in political as well as economic arenas on the basis of these common attributes.
He said his visit was a reflection of the mutual desire to translate unique friendship into concrete cooperation for the future.
The Prime Minister thanked for the warm welcome and generous hospitality extended to him and his members of delegation. He prayed for ever growing friendship between Pakistan and Turkey to last and for peace and stability in the region and the whole world.