Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Turkiye on Monday for a two-day official visit at the invitation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Upon arrival, he was received at the airport by Turkiye’s Defence Minister Yashar Guler.
The premier is accompanied by a high-level delegation, including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi.
According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, PM Shehbaz and President Erdogan will engage in wide-ranging discussions to further strengthen bilateral ties. The leaders will also exchange views on regional and global developments.
The statement emphasized that Pakistan and Turkiye, as strategic partners and longstanding allies, regularly hold high-level meetings, underscoring their deep-rooted brotherhood. This visit represents a continuation of these engagements and reflects both countries’ desire to enhance their multifaceted cooperation.
The visit follows President Erdogan’s trip to Pakistan in February, where he co-chaired the 7th session of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC). During that session, both sides signed 24 memoranda of understanding (MoUs), aimed at expanding cooperation in trade, defence, energy, finance, and digital economy.
One of the key outcomes was the shared goal to increase bilateral trade to $5 billion, with plans to broaden the Trade in Goods Agreement (TGA). The two countries also committed to operationalising the Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul trade corridor and promoting Turkish investments in Pakistan.
In 2024, trade between Pakistan and Turkiye reached a record $1.4 billion—an almost 30% increase from the previous year. Both leaders expressed confidence in sustaining this momentum, with President Erdogan encouraging more Turkish businesses to explore opportunities in Pakistan’s evolving market.
