Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening strategic cooperation between Pakistan and Turkiye across multiple sectors, while jointly calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and a unified fight against terrorism.
Speaking at a joint press stakeout in Ankara, PM Shehbaz said his visit allowed both sides to review progress on goals set during the 7th Pakistan-Turkiye High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC) held in Islamabad earlier this year.
The two leaders pledged to accelerate action on those targets, including investment in energy, IT, infrastructure, and minerals, with a mutual goal to enhance bilateral trade to US$5 billion.
Erdogan also stressed the importance of economic collaboration, highlighting Turkiye’s interest in joint ventures, free economic zones in Pakistan, and expanding ties in defence, science, health, and education. He noted that the 25 agreements signed during his February visit to Islamabad were already under implementation.
Shehbaz praised Erdogan’s leadership and his transformation of Turkiye into a strong economy and a significant diplomatic force. He also expressed gratitude for Turkish support during Pakistan’s natural disasters and reaffirmed close cooperation in multilateral platforms such as the UN and OIC.
The leaders concluded with a shared resolve to deepen people-to-people ties, regional stability, and strategic alignment in a changing global landscape, also proposing enhanced trilateral cooperation with Azerbaijan.
“Pakistan is determined to uproot terrorism, and we back its efforts in this critical fight,” said President Erdogan. He also noted that frequent bilateral engagements reflect the strength of the Pakistan-Turkiye relationship and a shared outlook on regional and global issues.
The PM also thanked Turkiye for its unwavering support in counter-terrorism efforts. “I am grateful for Turkiye’s cooperation in counter-terrorism,” said PM Shehbaz, adding that both sides agreed to expand cooperation in key sectors such as minerals, information technology, energy, and defence production.
On regional matters, Shehbaz and Erdogan condemned the killing of over 50,000 Palestinians in Gaza and demanded an immediate ceasefire and unhindered humanitarian aid.
Both reiterated their support for a two-state solution, with a sovereign Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders and East Jerusalem as its capital.
President Erdogan praised Pakistan’s firm and vocal stance on the Gaza crisis, calling it one of the strongest international responses to what he described as genocide. He reaffirmed Turkiye’s backing for Pakistan on Kashmir and welcomed Pakistan’s continued support for Turkish Cypriots.
The PM, who is on a two-day official visit to Turkiye, was accompanied by a high-level delegation including Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, and Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi.
