ISLAMABAD: In a demonstration of their shared commitment to enhancing economic relations, President Recep Tayyip Erdoฤan announced on Thursday that Turkey and Pakistan have set a bold goal of increasing their bilateral trade to $5 billion in the near future.
“We have agreed with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to intensify our efforts to achieve the target of $5 billion in trade volume,” Erdoฤan stated during a joint news conference with the Pakistani premier in Islamabad.
Erdoฤan, accompanied by a high-ranking delegation, arrived in Islamabad late Wednesday night for a two-day visit to co-chair the 7th session of the Pakistan-Turkey High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC) alongside PM Shehbaz.
Acknowledging the deep-rooted historical ties between the two nations, Erdoฤan highlighted that the HLSCC, established in 2009, serves as the highest-level institutional mechanism for strengthening Turkey-Pakistan solidarity.
“We have just concluded the seventh meeting of our council, where we reaffirmed our commitment to further reinforcing our relations. In this context, we signed 24 agreements across various sectors, including trade, water resources, agriculture, energy, culture, family and social services, science, banking, education, defense, and healthcare,” Erdoฤan added.
Emphasizing the importance of economic cooperation, Erdoฤan mentioned a business forum organized with participation from entrepreneurs across diverse sectors. “We encourage our investors, who are crucial to driving economic growth, to become more actively involved in Pakistan,” he remarked.
Erdoฤan also expressed his admiration for Pakistanโs people and armed forces for their resilience in combating terrorism, insurgency, and regional instability.
“We reaffirm our unwavering support for Pakistan in its fight against all forms of terrorism,” he declared.
Highlighting Turkeyโs solidarity with Pakistan, Erdoฤan continued, “We value Pakistanโs support in our battle against terrorism in all its forms.”
The Turkish president also reiterated Turkeyโs steadfast position on the Kashmir issue, expressing solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir. “Our support for resolving the Kashmir dispute through dialogue, based on UN resolutions and considering the aspirations of our Kashmiri brothers, remains unchanged,” Erdoฤan affirmed.
He also expressed gratitude for Pakistanโs support for the Turkish Cypriot cause, stating, “Pakistanโs backing of the Turkish Cypriots is deeply meaningful to us.”
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, speaking after the agreement signing, expressed optimism that the visit would yield significant benefits for both countries. He underscored the enduring fraternal ties between Pakistan and Turkey, built over centuries of shared history.
PM Shehbaz also thanked Turkey for its steadfast support of Pakistanโs position on the Kashmir issue and reiterated Pakistanโs “unwavering” support for Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
A Wave of MoUs Signed
During the visit, several MoUs were signed across various sectors. Notably, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and Turkish Minister of Trade Omer Bolat exchanged signed documents for a declaration on an MoU between the Export Credit Bank of Turkey and the Export-Import Bank of Pakistan.
Minister of Commerce Jam Kamal Khan and Turkish Minister of Trade Omer Bolat exchanged documents on a joint ministerial statement regarding the verification of origin certificates used in trade, as well as an MoU on the digitalization of these certificates.
An MoU on industrial property cooperation was exchanged between Minister of Commerce Jam and Turkish Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacir.
In defense, an MoU on the exchange of military and civilian personnel for cultural and social purposes was exchanged by Minister of Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Turkish Minister of Defence Yasar Guler. The two ministers also signed agreements on cooperation in Air Force Electronic Warfare and a MoU between the Turkish Defense Industries Secretariat and Pakistanโs Ministry of Defence Production.
The defense ministers also exchanged a protocol on training and cooperation in military health.
Additionally, an MoU on cooperation between Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) and Pakistanโs Naval Research and Development Institute (NRDI) was signed.
In the Science and Technology sector, an MoU on halal trade cooperation was signed by Minister of Science and Technology Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and Turkish Minister of Trade Omer Bolat.
Further agreements in the fields of energy, food security, water, public relations, religious services, and healthcare were also signed. For instance, agreements were exchanged between the two countries on cooperation in hydrocarbons, energy transition, and mining.
Additional MoUs were signed in sectors such as media, health and pharmaceuticals, cultural cooperation, and technical cooperation between Pakistanโs State Bank and Turkeyโs Central Bank.
At the Pakistan-Turkey Business Forum, two more MoUs were also finalized.
