ISLAMABAD: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has reached Islamabad on a two-day official visit at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The Turkish president was warmly welcomed by top Pakistani officials at the Nur Khan Airbase in Rawalpindi in the wee hours of yesterday.

Upon his 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 senior government figures. A ceremonial 21-gun salute marked the Turkish leader’s arrival.

Earlier, the Pakistan Air Force jets escorted his aircraft into the country’s airspace. President Erdogan, who was accompanied by a high-level delegation, was also joined by his wife, the First Lady of Turkiye. Two children, attired in traditional dresses presented bouquet to the Turkish President and the First Lady.

The airport reception also featured a performance by a military band, while children waved the flags of Pakistan and Turkiye, symbolising the strong ties between the two nations. His visit includes high-level engagements aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and economic cooperation between Pakistan and Türkiye.

President Erdogan arrived in the Pakistani capital accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising ministers, senior officials, and corporate leaders. He will be accorded a warm welcome upon arrival. The visit comes days after President Asif Ali Zardari met President Erdogan during a brief stop at Istanbul Airport in Turkiye.

In their meeting, the two leaders exchanged cordial remarks and discussed bilateral relations and matters of mutual interest. During his visit, the Turkish president will co-chair the seventh meeting of the Pakistan-Turkiye High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC) alongside PM Shehbaz.

The meeting will conclude with a joint declaration, and several key agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) are expected to be signed. The two leaders will also address a joint press conference.

Additionally, President Erdogan will hold separate meetings with the prime minister and President Zardari. He is also set to speak at the Pakistan-Turkiye Business and Investment Forum, which will be attended by leading investors, companies, and business figures from both countries.

The HLSCC is the highest decision-making platform between Pakistan and Türkiye, providing strategic direction to bilateral relations. It oversees multiple joint standing committees focused on trade, investment, banking, finance, culture, tourism, energy, defence, agriculture, transport, communications, IT, health, science and technology, and education. Six HLSCC meetings have been held so far, with the last one taking place in Islamabad on 13-14 February 2020.

Pakistan and Turkiye share historic and brotherly ties. President Erdogan’s visit and the seventh HLSCC session will further deepen these relations and enhance multi-dimensional cooperation between the two nations.

Published in The Daily National Courier, February, 13 2025

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