Turkish President Erdogan Receives Guard of Honour on Arrival in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Pakistan on Thursday for a two-day official visit, receiving a ceremonial guard of honour at the Prime Minister’s House.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif warmly welcomed President Erdogan and First Lady Emine Erdogan, marking the occasion with a formal salute. The national anthems of both nations were played as part of the reception, and the prime minister introduced the Turkish leader to members of the federal cabinet. PM Shehbaz also met with Erdogan’s accompanying delegation, including senior cabinet members.

Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir later met with President Erdogan and extended his greetings. The Turkish leader was further honoured with an F-16 fighter jet flypast.

Erdogan, accompanied by the First Lady and a delegation of investors and business leaders, landed at Noor Khan Airbase late Wednesday night, where he was personally received by President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. A 21-gun salute was presented in his honour.

Strengthening Bilateral Ties

The visit focuses on bolstering diplomatic and economic ties between Pakistan and Türkiye. A key highlight of Erdogan’s trip will be the seventh meeting of the Pakistan-Turkiye High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC), which he will co-chair alongside PM Shehbaz. The meeting is expected to conclude with a joint declaration, along with the signing of several significant agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs). The two leaders will also hold a joint press conference.

Additionally, President Erdogan will engage in separate meetings with Prime Minister Shehbaz and President Zardari. He is also scheduled to address the Pakistan-Turkiye Business and Investment Forum, which will bring together prominent investors and business leaders from both countries.

High-Level Strategic Cooperation

The HLSCC serves as the highest decision-making platform between Pakistan and Türkiye, guiding bilateral relations in key sectors such as trade, investment, banking, culture, defence, tourism, energy, transport, IT, health, and education.

Six HLSCC meetings have been held so far, with the last one taking place in Islamabad on February 13-14, 2020.

Pakistan and Türkiye share historic and fraternal ties, and President Erdogan’s visit, along with the seventh HLSCC session, is expected to further deepen relations and enhance multi-faceted cooperation between the two nations.