Turkey and Pakistan should work on common challenges as well as opportunities and strengthen their solidarity, a group of experts from the two countries said following a four-day dialogue meeting in Istanbul.

Rabia Akhtar, a professor at the University of Lahore, and leader of the Pakistani delegation was quoted by Anadolu Agency (AA) as saying there were "plenty of common opportunities and challenges that Pakistan and Turkey can benefit from, and combat together."

A group of 19 Pakistani academicians and former soldiers held a four-day long dialogue with their Turkish counterparts, discussing varied aspects of bilateral, regional, and global security issues at Istanbul Aydın University, Turkish policy think-tank SETA and Bahçeşehir University.

Researcher Elif Bali Kurtarır from Yıldız technical University said Turkey’s policy toward South Asia has included humanitarian touch where Ankara has reached out to help in times of disasters and has helped the persecuted like Rohingya.

She said under the "Asia Anew" policy, Ankara was trying to "build new ties and cooperation in the region."

Hussain Shaheed Suhrwardy, professor of international relations at the University of Peshawar, said Pakistan was "living in different circumstances and those on the shores of the Atlantic don't understand our circumstances."

Suggesting strengthening South-South (East-East) cooperation, he said South Asians were "quite disappointed by European and Atlantic security model."

He said the Mediterranean region was once the center of power which later then shifted to the Atlantic.

"Amid China's rise," he noted, "this power center is coming back to Asia and this superpower status will remain in Asia for centuries to come."

‘Double-track foreign policy’

Esra Hatipoğlu from Bahçeşehir University said trust and common interest are important issues between any two nations for building relations.

Scanning through Turkey’s different eras of foreign policy, Hatipoğlu said Ankara has played a role of "mediating power between the East and the West," citing Istanbul Mediation Conference as an example.

Since 2012, Turkey has been hosting mediation conferences in Istanbul to harness the growing interest in the peace-making agenda in general and mediation in particular bringing together experts and practitioners to exchange knowledge and practices in mediation.

"Turkey tried to act as a mediator for conflict resolution all through the world and then Ankara tried to act as post-conflict resolution actor but tried to touch issues selectively, focusing on its power/capability," she said.

Describing Turkey’s foreign policy as a combination of three elements "reinforce, renewal, and forward-looking," she said Ankara was "pursuing a double-track foreign policy."

"Ankara relatively enjoys independent foreign policy which is a regional and middle power and a game-changer," Hatipoğlu said, Turkey has to "increase its self-sufficiency and invest in the defense industry."

She said Turkey is conscious of interdependence, connectedness, and solidarity in international politics, while at the same time humanitarian issues and developmental aid continue to remain the number one priority.

NATO membership advantage

Tolga Sakman, who leads the Istanbul-based thinktank Center for Diplomatic Affairs and Political Studies (DIPAM), said Turkey’s membership in NATO was an "advantage" for the multi-national security alliance.

"It is an antidote to claims that NATO is an alliance of Christians ... presence of Turkish troops in Muslim areas is less disturbing," he argued.

He said in the attempts where the Joe Biden administration wants to use NATO as a bulwark against Russia and China, "securing Turkey’s cooperation is important."

Turkey is the second-largest military in the NATO, he said, "necessarily contributing to NATO's overall capability and is participating in almost in all NATO missions."

However, he said the membership of NATO also "limits" Turkey’s new defense cooperation pacts with non-NATO members.