Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday expressed gratitude to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his nation’s support during a brief military confrontation with India.
The Pakistan PM is visiting Turkiye for two days as part of his four-nation tour to friendly countries, where he will express his gratitude for supporting Pakistan during the recent conflict, says Pakistani newspaper The Dawn.
Earlier, Pakistan’s state broadcaster PTV News reported that the PM and Erdogan had a delegation-level meeting in which Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, and Minister of Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar took part.
According to PTV News, the meeting was “warm and most cordial” and both nations “reaffirmed the deep-rooted, historic, and brotherly ties between Pakistan and Türkiye, anchored in shared values, mutual respect, and a common vision for progress and prosperity”.
Taking to X, the PM wrote that he expressed gratitude to Erdogan for Turkiye’s support during the brief conflict with India earlier this month.
“[I] conveyed the sentiments of gratitude from the people of Pakistan to their Turkish brothers and sisters,” the prime minister wrote.
“We also reviewed the ongoing progress of our multifaceted bilateral engagements particularly in trade and investment and reaffirmed our resolve to continue working closely to further strengthen these unshakable bonds of brotherhood and cooperation,” he added
Earlier, a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said that, upon his arrival at the Istanbul Airport, the prime minister was received by Turkish Minister for National Defence Yasar Guler, Governor Istanbul Davut Gul, President of Pakistan-Turkiye Cultural Association Burhan Kayaturk, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Turkiye Yousaf Junaid, Consul General Istanbul Nouman Aslam, senior officials of the Turkish government, and Pakistani diplomats posted in Turkiye.
“PM Shehbaz Sharif will meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan today,” the statement said. “The two leaders will discuss further expanding cooperation between Turkiye and Pakistan in diverse fields, including defence, economy, tourism, and culture.”
The statement added that the purpose of the prime minister’s visit was to “thank the people of Turkiye, particularly President Erdogan, for supporting Pakistan’s principled stand in the recent Pakistan-India tension.”
This is the first leg of the Pakistan premier’s four-nation visit aimed at strengthening ties with the friendly countries. Apart from Turkiye, he will also visit Iran, Azerbaijan, and Tajikistan from May 25 to 30, according to their Foreign Office.