Pakistan and Turkiye on Wednesday reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen collaboration across a range of sectors — including defence, trade, energy, education, culture, and infrastructure — with the shared goal of boosting bilateral trade to $5 billion.
During a joint press conference, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan voiced satisfaction over the progress made by the 12 joint standing committees operating under the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC).
Reflecting on the previous HLSCC session held in Islamabad this February, DPM Dar noted that both sides had decided to establish a joint commission to monitor and guide the work of these committees. He expressed optimism, stating that all 12 committees had either already convened or were scheduled to meet soon.
Dar further shared that the next meeting of the Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) was expected in the coming weeks. The JMC will be jointly chaired by Turkiye’s Minister of National Defence Yasar Guler and Pakistan’s Minister of Commerce Jam Kamal Khan, and aims to drive forward economic cooperation.
Highlighting Turkiye’s successful indigenisation of its defence industry, which increased from 20% to 80%, DPM Dar said Pakistan was eager to learn from its experience.
He also mentioned ongoing efforts to establish a dedicated Special Economic Zone (SEZ) for Turkish companies in Karachi and revive the Istanbul-Tehran-Islamabad rail corridor, with delegations set to finalise a detailed roadmap soon.
Additionally, Dar confirmed that land had been allocated in Muzaffarabad for the construction of a Maarif school and revealed that several major projects involving Turkish firms were under consideration. These include the Jinnah Medical Complex, Danish University, offshore drilling ventures, and participation in the privatisation of power distribution companies. Pakistan is also keen to benefit from Turkiye’s know-how in water management and ship-breaking.
Counter-terrorism capacity building is also part of the broader cooperation agenda, paving the way for the upcoming 8th session of the HLSCC, which will be hosted by Turkiye next year.
Reaffirming the deep ties between the two countries, Dar described Turkiye as a “trusted friend and reliable brother,” and reiterated Pakistan’s solidarity with the Turkish people.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan hailed the discussions as productive and said bilateral relations continue to grow stronger.
“Our goal is to bring commercial ties to $5 billion by enhancing cooperation in fields such as energy, mining, education, and transportation,” Fidan said.
He also underlined the importance of strengthening transport and logistics links by land, air, sea, and rail, adding that technical work in these areas is already underway.
Touching on regional issues, Fidan praised Pakistan’s restraint during its recent tensions with India and reiterated Turkiye’s support for peace and dialogue. “The international community has witnessed Pakistan’s wise and calm approach,” he added.
