Istanbul: Pakistan and Türkiye on Saturday reaffirmed their enduring friendship, vowing to stand by each other in all circumstances while renewing their commitment to increase bilateral trade to $5 billion.
The pledge was made by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a joint press conference in Istanbul following wide-ranging talks on bilateral relations, as well as regional and international developments.
Welcoming Prime Minister Shehbaz and his delegation, President Erdogan said their discussions covered political cooperation, economic relations and key regional and global issues.
He said the partnership between Pakistan and Türkiye continues to grow stronger, adding that the two countries have always supported one another in difficult times and will maintain that tradition in the future.
The Turkish president also referred to the memorandum of understanding recently signed in Islamabad between the United States and Iran, calling it a positive step towards international peace. He appreciated Pakistan’s efforts in promoting regional stability, economic development and prosperity.
President Erdogan said both sides had agreed to further strengthen trade, encourage greater investment and expand economic cooperation in pursuit of their shared commercial objectives.
Speaking at the joint media briefing, Prime Minister Shehbaz thanked President Erdogan and the Turkish people for their warm hospitality, describing Pakistan-Türkiye ties as a relationship built on history, trust and brotherhood.
He said Türkiye has consistently stood by Pakistan during times of war, natural disasters and other national challenges.
Referring to his engagements with Turkish business leaders at the Pakistan-Türkiye Business Forum, the prime minister said both governments remain firmly committed to achieving the agreed bilateral trade target of $5 billion.
Earlier, while addressing the Pakistan-Türkiye Business-to-Business Conference, PM Shehbaz described Türkiye as one of Pakistan’s closest and most trusted partners.
He said the bond between the two nations dates back to the Khilafat Movement, recalling the support extended by the Ali Brothers and the Muslims of the subcontinent to Türkiye during its struggle for independence.
The prime minister also said Pakistan was able to play a mediatory role in the US-Iran conflict with the sincere support of President Erdogan. While acknowledging the complexity of the diplomatic process, he welcomed the ceasefire and stressed that every effort should now be made to preserve and strengthen the prospects for lasting peace.
PM Shehbaz also highlighted the value of Türkiye’s experience in implementing reforms, particularly in the privatisation of electricity distribution companies and the modernisation of Pakistan’s power transmission system.
Recalling Pakistan’s military standoff with India in May last year, he expressed gratitude to Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and other friendly countries for their unwavering support during that period.
During the media interaction, President Erdogan said lasting peace in the Middle East could only be achieved through the active involvement of regional countries.
He also warned against any attempts to undermine the US-Iran peace agreement, saying Türkiye was closely monitoring what he described as efforts by the Israeli government to derail the understanding.
President Erdogan further cautioned that the region must not be pushed back into instability and conflict, stressing the need to safeguard the momentum for peace.
He reaffirmed Türkiye’s interest in expanding cooperation with Pakistan in energy, transport, critical minerals, information technology and defence, while reiterating the shared goal of increasing annual bilateral trade to $5 billion.
