Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to visit Pakistan this week as part of a four-day diplomatic tour across Asia, which will also include stops in Malaysia and Indonesia.
Erdogan’s journey, which begins today, will first take him to Malaysia, followed by Indonesia, with his final destination being Islamabad, according to Daily Sabah.
During his visit, President Erdogan is expected to engage in discussions on enhancing bilateral relations, with a particular focus on strengthening cooperation in various sectors.
This trip, confirmed by a post on Erdogan’s official social media account, follows a brief meeting between President Asif Ali Zardari and Erdogan during Zardari’s stopover at Istanbul Airport in Turkey. The two leaders exchanged friendly remarks and discussed matters of mutual interest.
Erdogan’s visit takes place amid growing cooperation between Turkey and Pakistan, particularly in the defense sector. Pakistan recently secured a deal to acquire Turkish-built vessels for its navy. The two countries also conducted the Turgutreis-XI naval exercise in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea in January, designed to improve the interoperability of their naval forces and enhance regional maritime security.
In September 2024, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met President Erdogan during the 79th United Nations General Assembly in New York. Erdogan commended Sharif for improving Pakistan’s macroeconomic performance and expressed confidence in the country’s continued economic progress under his leadership.
This visit holds further diplomatic significance as it follows a series of high-profile visits to Pakistan, with Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko being the most recent foreign leader to visit Islamabad in November 2024.
