Islamabad (TDI): Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was welcomed warmly with a guard of honour on Thursday morning upon his arrival at the PM House in Islamabad for talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The Turkish president arrived in Islamabad shortly after Thursday midnight and was received by the prime minister and President Asif Ali Zardari.
Both leaders are set to hold meetings with the visiting guest during his official 2-day visit.
PM Shehbaz and several federal ministers greeted Erdogan as a formal welcome ceremony was organized in his honour at the PM House.
A contingent of armed forces presented a guard of honour to the Turkish President, with the national anthems of both countries also played.
Erdogan was also greeted at the PM House by Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir, with both of them shaking hands.
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Prior to that, the premier introduced his cabinet members to the Turkish leader, including Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Education Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, and Minister of State for IT Shaza Fatima Khawaja.
Standing in the same queue were members of the visiting Turkish delegation, whom Erdogan introduced to PM Shehbaz.
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Erdogan’s visit marks the final leg of his overseas tour, which included stops in Malaysia and Indonesia.
The visit of the Turkish president — accompanied by a high-level delegation, including ministers, senior officials, and corporate leaders — would last from February 12 to 13.
During the visit, both nations are expected to finalize deals to expand economic cooperation, especially in trade and investment.
Officials have worked out plans to increase bilateral trade from $1 billion to $5 billion, with new memorandums of understanding (MoUs) are expected in trade liberalization, investment facilitation, and the removal of non-tariff barriers.
Defence cooperation remains a key pillar of Pakistan-Turkiye ties.
According to the 2023 Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) report, Turkiye is Pakistan’s second-largest arms supplier, accounting for 11 percent of its total arms imports.
The defence partnership has grown considerably, with joint projects such as the Milgem warships, aircraft modernisation, and drone acquisitions deepening military collaboration.
