Ertugrul's Celal Al pens heartfelt note as he bids goodbye to Pakistan

Ertugrul star Celal Al has officially wrapped up his whirlwind visit to Pakistan and upon his return to Turkey, he penned a heartfelt note for Pakistanis.

"From a very nice and very efficient Pakistan trip, we safely arrived in Istanbul. Under the leadership of my teacher Kemal Tekden, I had very fruitful meetings with President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister İmran Khan and valuable actors Adnan Siddiqi, Humayun and many other brothers whose names I cannot count," he wrote on social media alongside some pictures of his stay.

"In the name of reinforcing our brotherhood with Pakistan, Mohammed Iqbal made a speech in the great mobilisation announcement in Lahore Square in 1915, which was the heroism of my Pakistani brothers, and after this emotional speech, some of them sold their earring, bracelet, household goods."

He further added how it was unique that a poor woman who had no money went to the extent of selling her child to a rich man, only to pitch in money to the Caliphate Osmaniye, praising this as "indescribable heroism" that he will "remember with grace and respect".

Speaking about gifts of appreciation, Celal also opened up about the presents he gifted to President Alvi.

"We presented the soil to President Arif Alvi from Gallipoli and the grave of our National Poet Mehmet Akif Ersoy to serve this brotherhood a little. As Mr President Arif Alvi said, this brotherhood must last forever," he added.

"I donated my blood to be worthy of you beautiful brothers. The Turkish people and the state love you very much. We are waiting for you in Turkey," he exclaimed.

"And lastly, we could not hug you fully due to Covid-19, please do not be sorry. I hope if I come to Pakistan again, I will hug you profusely. I look forward to holding back to your burning hearts with the love of Ummet.We are pleased with you and may Allah be pleased with you. If we had a fault, forgive," he parted on an emotional note.

Towards the end, he also invited feedback from the audience who welcomed him with nothing but love. "Well, did you agree with your brother Celal? I hope you are satisfied with us???" he asked.

Fans kept a close eye on Celal's trip and the actor also kept everyone updated on his activities through social media. Audiences reciprocated not just his love, but the way he rooted for a Pakistan-Turkey brotherhood.

From visiting the Omair-Sana Foundation (OSF) and Children's Hospital Karachi to appreciating the scenic beauty of Islamabad, the star continued to win hearts during his trip.

Previously, Adnan Siddiqui and Humayun Saeed too shared glimpses of their evening with him.

The Mere Paas Tum Ho actor documented "some candid and some posed" shots from the duo's meeting with the Turkish delegation that included producer of the famous Ottoman epic Diriliş: Ertuğrul, Kamal Tekdin; ministers Shaheryar Afridi and Shibili Faraz; and Dr Kashif Ansari of Ansari films.

"Though he says he’s fallen in love with Pakistan and our hospitality, I must tell you my friend, you have got two fans for life in megastar Humayun Saeed and a fairly popular actor, yours truly," he had posted.

The trip brought another gift for fans: the news that the first Pak-Turk collaboration Lala Turk, based around the Khilafat Movement, is also in the works.

We're here for all cross-cultural collaborations and of course, foreign celebrities who fall in love with Pakistan as much as Pakistanis fall in love with them.