Newly-appointed Turkish Defense Minister Fikri Işık met with President Mamnoon Hussain in capital Islamabad on Friday as part of an official visit to Pakistan.

"Turkey and Pakistan have special relations that date back a long time," the minister said, praising the two country's relations in the defense industry in particular.

"To ensure the region's peace and security, Turkey, Pakistan and Afghanistan should maintain close ties," he added, stressing Ankara's commitment to contributing to regional stability.

Işık went on to note that Turkey was closely following developments in regards to the faltering Afghan peace process.

"In this regard, Turkey appreciates Pakistan's constructive role in [efforts to restart] talks between Afghanistan and the Taliban," he said.

President Hussain, for his part, praised both countries' role in the fight against terrorism, saying, "We appreciate Turkey's sensitivity to the Afghan issue."

Anadolu Agency correspondent Ahmet Sait Akcay contributed to this report from Ankara