ANKARA: A memorial ceremony took place today in Keçiören, Ankara, to honor the schoolchildren and staff who lost their lives in the tragic terrorist attack on the Army Public School (APS) in Peshawar in 2014, said a press release issued by the Embassy of Pakistan on Friday.
The event was attended by the Ambassador of Pakistan to Turkey, Dr. Yousaf Junaid, Keçiören Municipality Mayor Turgut Altinok, officials from the Justice and Development Party (AKP), Keçiören Municipality, and members of the Pakistan Embassy.
Mayor Turgut Altinok, reiterating Turkey’s strong solidarity with Pakistan, condemned the APS terrorist attack. He affirmed that the people of Turkey will continue to stand with their Pakistani brothers in all aspects of life, particularly in the fight against terrorism. The Mayor also expressed Turkish support for the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) in realizing their inalienable right to self-determination.
Ambassador Junaid, expressing heartfelt gratitude to the Turkish community for their solidarity, emphasized that the 144 trees planted symbolize the strong determination of the 300 million people of Pakistan and Turkey to combat terrorism, both nations having faced numerous losses due to terrorism.
Addressing the recent verdict of the Indian Supreme Court on the status of IIOJK, the Ambassador stated that the judgment is another form of terrorism. He said that Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir is an internationally recognized dispute, and its final disposition should be in accordance with relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people. He emphasized that there is no supremacy of the Indian constitution and Indian courts over UN resolutions.
The Ambassador extended thanks to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his principled stance on Kashmir, reaffirming that Pakistan will continue providing full political, diplomatic, and moral support to the legitimate Kashmiri cause of self-determination.
Subsequently, Ambassador Junaid, Mayor Kecioren, and other dignitaries laid wreaths at the memorial for the APS martyrs. These trees were planted in memory of the martyred children by the Keçiören Municipality and Youth Wing members of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) in collaboration with the Embassy of Pakistan in January 2015.
