President Erdogan backs Pakistan's anti-terror efforts during premier's visit

• Mutual contacts sign of strong friendship: President Erdogan.
• Shehbaz says grateful for Turkiye’s cooperation in counter-terrorism.
• Both sides vow to strengthen bilateral strategic partnership.
  

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan backed Pakistan’s efforts to uproot terrorism in the country after holding a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Ankara on Tuesday.

PM Shehbaz, accompanied by a high-level delegation, arrived in the Turkish capital on a two-day official visit earlier today.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi are part of the prime minister’s delegation.

“We welcome Shehbaz Sharif on his arrival in Turkiye. Mutual contacts are a sign of strong friendship,” President Erdogan said while addressing a joint presser alongside PM Shehbaz following a one-on-one meeting.

President Erdogan said Pakistan was determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and backed Islamabad’s efforts to deal with the challenge of militancy.

He also highlighted that the brotherly countries have convergence on global issues.

Speaking on the occasion, PM Shehbaz thanked the Turkish president for extending a warm welcome upon his arrival.

The premier said Turkey has made exemplary progress under the leadership of President Erdogan.

“I am grateful for Turkiye’s cooperation in counter-terrorism,” the premier said adding that the two countries agreed to cooperate in minerals, IT and other sectors.

Pakistan, Turkiye vow to boost ties

Ahead of the joint presser, Pakistan and Turkiye expressed satisfaction on the positive trajectory of multifaceted bilateral relations and reiterated their commitment to further strengthen their bilateral strategic partnership, fostering peace, stability, development, and prosperity in the region.

The bilateral ties and cooperation were discussed during the bilateral meeting between PM Shehbaz and Turkish President Erdogan.

The meeting underscored the enduring fraternal ties between Pakistan and Turkiye and reaffirmed their commitment to further deepening bilateral cooperation across various sectors.

PM Shehbaz emphasised the importance of enhancing economic collaboration, especially through joint ventures and bilateral investments.

He highlighted the potential for cooperation in energy and mining, joint ventures in defence and agri production, enhancing regional and bilateral connectivity to boost trade and enhance people-to-people exchanges, besides deepening cooperation in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.

During the discussions, both leaders took note of the follow-up actions taken regarding the decisions of the 7th High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC) held in Islamabad on February 13, 2025.

Both leaders showed satisfaction with the trajectory of the multifaceted bilateral collaboration between the brotherly countries.

Prime Minister Shehbaz and President Erdogan also discussed regional and global matters and reaffirmed their support for each other on issues of national interest.

Both leaders expressed their commitment to further strengthen the strategic partnership between Pakistan and Turkiye, fostering peace, stability, development, and prosperity in the region.

President Erdogan also hosted a banquet in honour of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the accompanying delegation.

— With additional input from APP