Ankara (TDI): In meeting with Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, President of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed keenness to expand defense and military ties with Pakistan through joint projects.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister is on a two-day official visit to Türkiye and landed in Ankara on April 22, 2025. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Minister of Information & Broadcasting Ataullah Tarar, SAPM Tariq Fatemi and Pakistan’s Ambassador to Turkiye Dr. Yusuf Junaid are among the dignitaries who are part of the delegation.
After landing in Ankara and before meeting the Turkish President, PM Shehbaz wrote on X, “Pakistan and Türkiye share a unique and historic bond, deeply etched in the hearts of our people. United by trust and shared values, we carry a common vision for peace, progress, and prosperity — a partnership that has stood the test of time and continues to grow stronger with each passing day.”
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and President of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan shaking hands after addressing a joint Press Conference in Ankara.
April 22, 2025. pic.twitter.com/zU9dA1EWx2— Prime Minister’s Office (@PakPMO) April 22, 2025
The bilateral meeting between the two leaders took place at the Presidential Complex. After the meeting, the Turkish President hosted the PM and his delegation to a dinner banquet.
“The meeting underscored the enduring fraternal ties between Pakistan and Türkiye and reaffirmed their commitment to further deepening bilateral cooperation across various sectors,” read an official Press Release about the meeting.
“During the discussions, both leaders took note of the follow-up actions taken with regard to the decisions of the 7th High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC) held in Islamabad on 13 February 2025. Both the leaders showed satisfaction on the trajectory of the multifaceted bilateral collaboration between the brotherly countries,” it further said.
During the meeting, PM Shehbaz stressed on “enhancing economic collaboration especially through joint ventures and bilateral investments” while also highlighting potential of joint ventures in “defense and agri production, enhancing regional and bilateral connectivity to boost trade and enhance people-to-people exchanges, and deepening cooperation in emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and cyber-security.”
Both sides discussed the humanitarian situation in Gaza as well. The Turkish President also discussed the availability of lecturers to teach Turkish language in Pakistan.
President Erdoğan recounted his meeting with PM Shehbaz in a post on X saying, “We discussed encouraging mutual investments and allocating free economic zones to our companies in Pakistan.”
“We pointed out new cooperation projects in the fields of energy and critical minerals that were on the agenda during the visit of my Energy Minister to Pakistan,” he further wrote. “We are pleased to see that we are acting in full harmony with Pakistan on almost all issues.”
Bu akşam Pakistan Başbakanı, değerli kardeşim Sayın Şahbaz Şerif ile Cumhurbaşkanlığı Külliyemizde bir araya geldik. 🇹🇷🇵🇰
Aziz kardeşimle yaptığımız görüşmede ikili ilişkilerimizin yanı sıra bölgesel ve küresel meseleler hakkında görüş alışverişinde bulunduk.… pic.twitter.com/JXmo2ixgZk
— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) April 22, 2025
After the meeting, both sides addressed a joint press conference. The Turkish President expressed support for Pakistan’s counter-terrorism measures and noted that eliminating terror is where Pakistan and Turkey’s interests converge.
PM Shehbaz thanked Türkiye for its support of Pakistan’s counter-terror operations and efforts. President Erdoğan also appreciated Pakistan’s strongest and most-consistent stance on Gaza.
“We will continue working together toward the establishment of an independent and sovereign state of Palestine,” he said.
PM Shehbaz told the press conference that both countries have agreed to launch joint projects in various sectors, while Erdogan specifically mentioned defense sector as an area of strong interest for undertaking joint projects.
Nuzhat Rana is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
