On the last stopover of his three-nation Asia tour, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan arrived in Pakistan late Wednesday. He received a formal welcome on Thursday from Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif in Islamabad.
Türkiye and Pakistan enjoy close ties as the latter is one of the major partners of Ankara in the region. At a joint news conference with Sharif, Erdoğan said he was pleased to visit the country “bonded with Türkiye on the principle of brotherhood.”
“Support of Muslims here to us during the War of Independence and Çanakkale battles are most striking examples of our exceptional relations,” Erdoğan said, referring to World War I battles and the subsequent fight by Türkiye for independence.
Prior to the news conference, Erdoğan and Sharif attended the seventh meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council of Türkiye and Pakistan. The meeting ended with a joint declaration to deepen and diversify strategic partnerships and to sign 24 cooperation agreements in several fields. Deals include the exchange of military and civilian personnel for social and cultural purposes, cooperation on electronic warfare between the air forces of two countries and cooperation on training for military health care. In the energy field, the two countries signed a deal amending cooperation on hydrocarbons and a deal on energy transformation and mining. Pakistan and Türkiye also signed a declaration and memorandum of understanding on commodity trade and the digitalization of commerce-related paperwork.
Ministers from the two countries also signed deals on cooperation on water resources and seeds, the establishment of infrastructure for metrology and cooperation on textile technologies education. Two banks specialized in exports and imports of the two countries also signed a memorandum of understanding. Other deals and memoranda of understanding include cooperation on industrial property, religious education, halal commerce, cooperation between the central banks of the two countries, cooperation on public affairs, communications and media, health care and pharmaceuticals.
Among the defense deals signed was a memorandum of understanding between Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) and the Naval Research and Development Institute (NRDI) of Pakistan. The two countries also signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the defense industry.
Erdoğan named Pakistan as his "second home" and lauded Pakistan's founders, Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Allama Muhammad Iqbal, for establishing modern-day Pakistan with inspiration from the Republic of Türkiye. He said President Zardari's great-grandfather Khan Bahadur Hassan Ali Effendi, Abdur Rahman Peshawari, and brothers Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali are "heroes we jointly commemorate." He also pointed to verses of Pakistan's national poet Muhammad Iqbal praising Türkiye's victory in Çanakkale during World War I.
"The High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council we established in 2009 in light of our unique historical ties is the highest-level mechanism in our solidarity. In our meeting today, we agreed upon further strengthening our relations. Before the meeting, I discussed with my brother Shahbaz Sharif regional and global developments," Erdoğan said.
The Turkish president said they were planning to increase their trade volume to $5 billion, and in this context, they discussed expanding their commodity trade agreement to achieve that in the first stage. He noted that military dialogue and defense industry cooperation have significantly boosted trade and investment relations through a multiplier effect. He also confirmed their commitment to advancing ongoing projects in Pakistan, including supply, sales and joint production efforts.
He emphasized that the exceptional relationship between Türkiye and Pakistan is further demonstrated by their solidarity in times of hardship, recalling that Sharif was the first leader to visit the earthquake-stricken region in southern Türkiye following the Feb. 6, 2023, disaster.
"Messages of condolences and support from all levels, from the president to ordinary citizens, were the purest examples of the bond between our nations. Once again, I extend my heartfelt thanks to the people of Pakistan for this solidarity, which we will never forget."
Erdoğan expressed appreciation for Pakistan's significant sacrifices in the fight against terrorism and regional instability and reiterated Türkiye's support for Pakistan in its battle against all forms of terrorism. He also offered condolences for the soldiers and Pakistani citizens killed in terrorist attacks and wished a swift recovery to the injured.
Erdoğan continued: "We feel Pakistan's strong support in our own fight against terrorism, including against the YPG, the PKK, Daesh and the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ). The designation of FETÖ as a terrorist group in Pakistan, along with the transfer of its schools to (the Turkish) Maarif Foundation, are meaningful results of our shared determination in the fight against terrorism. Through the Türkiye Scholarships, the Yunus Emre Institute and the Maarif Foundation, we will continue our efforts to pass on the friendship between our nations to future generations."
The president also praised Pakistan's support for the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Pakistan's support for the rightful cause of the Turkish Cypriots is very meaningful to us," he said. Pakistan is among the few countries that host Turkish Cypriot leaders and recognize Turkish Cypriot passports, as most of the international community rejected recognition of the state on the divided island of Cyprus.
Erdoğan added that Türkiye continues to stand in solidarity with Kashmiris, just as it has in the past. "Our support for the resolution of the Kashmir issue through dialogue, based on United Nations resolutions, and with respect for the aspirations of the Kashmiri people, remains unwavering," he said.
Erdoğan also praised Pakistan's firm stance on the Palestinian issue and emphasized the importance of supporting Palestinians' legitimate rights through various international platforms, including the U.N. and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). "Especially during a time when unlawful and inhumane proposals to sever Gazan brothers from their homeland are being made, we believe we must strengthen our resolute stance. We will patiently continue our struggle for the establishment of an independent and sovereign State of Palestine, with territorial integrity and East Jerusalem as its capital, based on the 1967 borders," he said.
For his part, Sharif said at the news conference that Pakistan fully supported Türkiye and the TRNC.
Sharif said Erdoğan is "a very important and highly respected leader of the Islamic world."
"You have also led from the front, speaking for the problems and speaking for the rights of oppressed people, be it people of Gaza, Palestine or Kashmir," Sharif said.
"When you speak, not only millions of people in the Islamic world hear you very attentively, but the globe hears you when you speak," he said, lauding Erdoğan for "transforming" Türkiye. The Pakistani premier said Türkiye has always stood by the "just cause of the people" of Jammu and Kashmir and "always maintained your stance loud and clear," adding that he extends his "unwavering" support to Ankara. Recalling sacrifices made by Pakistan in fighting terrorism, Sharif thanked the Turkish president for solidarity with the loss of lives.
Reiterating Islamabad's resolve against the "menace of terrorism," Sharif urged neighboring Afghanistan "to help in the fight of terrorism, not in spreading terrorism."
Thanking Erdoğan for visiting the South Asian nation, his first in five years, Sharif said his government and the people of Pakistan "warmly welcome" him in Islamabad.
