May 26, 2025
ISLAMABAD – 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 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.
Earlier, 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”.
A video posted by the broadcaster showed PM Shehbaz embracing President Erdogan before boarding a car and leaving Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul.
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 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.”
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Minister of Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, and Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi also accompanied the premier.
This is the first leg of the 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 25-30, according to the Foreign Office.
The tour follows diplomatic support voiced by three of these countries for Pakistan during the recent military confrontation with India.
During the visit, PM Shehbaz will have “wide-ranging discussions with the leaders of these countries on an entire range of issues covering bilateral relations and matters of regional and international importance,” the Foreign Office said.
“He will also have the opportunity to express the deepest appreciation and acknowledgement for the support extended to Pakistan by the friendly countries during the recent crisis with India,” it noted.
Fahrettin Altun, Erdogan’s head of communications said on X said, “During the meeting, bilateral relations, regional and international issues, including the fight against terrorism, will be discussed.”
Altun said “various aspects of bilateral relations between Turkiye and Pakistan will be evaluated”, according to a Google translation of his post.
Joint steps taken within the scope of the Pakistan-Turkiye High Level Strategic Cooperation Council as per the two leaders’ last meeting in February will be reviewed, the Turkish official said.
While in Tajikistan — likely the last leg of his tour — the premier will also attend the International Conference on Glaciers being held in its capital, Dushanbe, on May 29 and 30.
As tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi escalated, with India launching deadly strikes on Pakistan on May 6, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had conveyed his solidarity to the prime minister and said it supported Pakistan’s “calm and restrained policies”.
Following the tit-for-tat airbase attacks and a US-brokered ceasefire between the two neighbours, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev had “warmly congratulated PM Shehbaz upon Pakistan’s remarkable success”, according to the PM Office.
Iran had also offered to mediate during the escalation and paid a visit to both Islamabad and New Delhi in peace efforts, which were appreciated by PM Shehbaz and the military’s spokesperson.
The diplomatic support voiced by Turkiye and Azerbaijan stoked anger in India as people cancelled their holidays in popular resorts in the two countries.
The moves intensified as Adani group-operated Mumbai and Ahmedabad airports ended the ground handling concession agreements with Çelebi, an Istanbul-headquartered airport.
Small Indian grocery shops and major online fashion retailers also began a boycott of Turkish products ranging from chocolates, coffee, jams and cosmetics to clothing.
PM Shehbaz’s tour adds to Pakistan’s spree of diplomatic engagement amid tensions with New Delhi.
Earlier today, Dar held a telephonic conversation with Uzbekistan Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov, where views were “exchanged on current regional situation”.
The two leaders discussed existing bilateral relations, particularly the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) Railway Line Project, the FO said.
They expressed the hope that the framework agreement for the regional connectivity project would be finalised soon.
A high-level diplomatic delegation is also set to visit important world capitals to counter Indian propaganda related to the escalation and the deadly attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam.
“The delegation will visit London, Washington, Paris and Brussels to highlight India’s disinformation campaign and its attempts to destabilise regional peace,” Radio Pakistan had said.