Pakistan's democracy "a model for rest of the world": Turkish Prez

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who today became the first foreign dignitary to address Pakistan's Parliament for the third time, said the country's democracy is a model for the rest of the world.

Erdogan said the relations between Pakistan and Turkey are far greater than just diplomatic ties, adding the bilateral ties between both sides have been made stronger in every field.

Erdogan announced that the current level of trade between Pakistan and Turkey will be taken to Rs. one billion and said that the ties should move forward in political, military as well as economic terms.

The Turkish President said that 500 Pakistani students will be able to go to Turkey for PhD scholarships every year after a document was signed between Pakistan's Higher Education Commission and the Turkish higher education body.

Reiterating that FETO is a threat to Pakistan's security, Erdogan said that his nation will not allow the terrorist organisation to harm Islamabad.

"Gulen's outfit will be eliminated before it can cause any sort of harm to Pakistan," he said.

Sharing his views on terrorism across the globe, Erdogan said: "God has stated in the Holy Quran that he is closer to us than our jugular vein and there can be no higher power."

"Al Qaeda is serving as a puppet and as a tout to foment terrorism in Muslim countries, there is a war going on in Iraq and Syria. These terrorists are destroying Islam and are tarnishing its name.they do not belong to this religion," The Express Tribune quoted Erdogan as saying.

Asserting that Pakistan, Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq and Syria are all affected by these terrorists, Erdogan said he has complete faith that Muslims will not be destroyed by the tactics of the terrorists, adding they must be thrown out.

The Turkish President, who is on a two-day visit to Pakistan, had addressed the Parliament earlier in October 2009 and May 2012.