Pakistan honors 2 Turkish citizens with top civilian awards

Pakistan's president conferred Pakistan's top civil awards upon two Turkish dignitaries at a special ceremony in Istanbul on Aug. 15.

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Arif Alvi conferred Sitara-e-Imtiaz upon Selami Kılıç and Sitara-i-Quaid-i-Azam upon Prof. Celal Soydan in recognition of their outstanding services to Pakistan.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency following the event, Kılıç said that he was honored to receive the award.

"I hope the friendship between Pakistan and Turkey will continue forever. If we have contributed to these relations, I would be very proud of it," he added.

Soydan told Anadolu Agency that he was very honored to receive the award from President Alvi.

"I have been continuing my studies on the Urdu language and efforts for the Turkey-Pakistan friendship for 30 years," he said.

Kılıç is currently working as the head of the Foreign Affairs Department of the Turkish Health Ministry.

He received his medical education from Quaid-e-Azam Medical College in Bahawalpur. "His deep love and regard for Pakistan have always remained a distinguishing feature of his professional career," according to a statement from Pakistan's Embassy in Ankara.

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"Dr. Selami participated in the relief activities after the 2005 devastating earthquake in Pakistan," the statement added.

After the 2010 floods in Pakistan, Kılıç helped establish a field hospital in Pakistan's Dera Murad Jamali city and carried out damage and needs assessment surveys in various areas of Sindh and Balochistan, the statement added.

He was also at the forefront of the initiative to establish the Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Hospital at Muzaffargarh, a city in Punjab, Pakistan's most populous province.

Soydan is the head of the Urdu...