ISLAMABAD: Turkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has arrived in Islamabad for a two-day official visit at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. He was warmly welcomed by senior Pakistani officials at Rawalpindi’s Nur Khan Airbase in the early hours of Thursday.
Upon arrival, President Erdogan was greeted by Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, First Lady Aseefa Bhutto, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, and other high-ranking officials.
A ceremonial 21-gun salute marked his arrival, and Pakistan Air Force jets escorted his aircraft into the country’s airspace.
Accompanied by his wife, the First Lady of Turkiye, President Erdogan is also joined by a high-level delegation. Two children, dressed in traditional attire, presented bouquets to the Turkish President and First Lady.
The airport reception included a performance by a military band, while children waved flags of both Pakistan and Turkiye, symbolizing the strong bond between the two countries.
The visit focuses on strengthening bilateral relations and enhancing economic cooperation between Pakistan and Turkiye.
President Erdogan’s delegation includes ministers, senior officials, and corporate leaders, all of whom are set to receive a warm welcome.
This visit follows a brief meeting between President Asif Ali Zardari and President Erdogan at Istanbul Airport in Turkiye, where they exchanged cordial remarks and discussed mutual interests.
During his stay, President Erdogan will co-chair the seventh session of the Pakistan-Turkiye High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC) with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The meeting will end with a joint declaration, and several significant agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) are expected to be signed. Both leaders will also hold a joint press conference.
In addition, President Erdogan will have separate meetings with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Zardari. He is scheduled to speak at the Pakistan-Turkiye Business and Investment Forum, attended by key investors, companies, and business leaders from both nations.
The HLSCC serves as the highest platform for decision-making between Pakistan and Turkiye, providing strategic direction to their bilateral relations. It oversees various committees dedicated to areas such as trade, investment, banking, finance, culture, tourism, energy, defence, agriculture, transport, communications, IT, health, science and technology, and education.
So far, six HLSCC meetings have been held, with the most recent taking place in Islamabad on 13-14 February 2020.
The deep-rooted historic ties between Pakistan and Turkiye will be further strengthened during this visit and the HLSCC session, enhancing cooperation across multiple sectors.
