Pakistan and Turkiye Pledge to Deepen Strategic Partnership to New Heights
On May 25, 2025, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met in Istanbul to restate and further develop their existing strong partnership(MOFA). The meeting stressed mutual respect, regional unity and a common goal for development, which became a key event in the relationship between Pakistan and Turkiye.
Strengthening Strategic Ties
The meeting was aimed at keeping and building strong bilateral links in important sectors. It was clear from both leaders that they wanted to increase cooperation on trade, defense, energy, technology and diplomacy in their region. As part of their agreement, countries decided to speed up ongoing work and consider new projects that would be beneficial to both economies and political situations.
Shehbaz Sharif expressed his thanks to Turkiye for always standing with Pakistan in recent regional disputes, especially when Pakistan opposed India. He said, “Turkiye’s principled and brotherly support will be remembered by the people of Pakistan. It proves the strong friendship that has always existed between our countries.”
Revisiting the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council
Much of the conversation revolved around seeing how things have moved forward since the HLSCC last convened. Everyone agreed that the council helps ensure there is a framework for effective policy work.
Both countries’ leaders thanked the HLSCC for promoting cooperation among different sectors and chose to set high targets for its improvement. The government’s attention to these areas is predicted to lead to major economic benefits.
Learn More: PM Shehbaz Sharif Begins Two-Day Official Visit to Turkiye to Strengthen Bilateral Ties
$5 Billion Trade Goal: Ambitious and Achievable
The most important news for the economy was the intention to raise bilateral trade to a yearly amount of $5 billion. Many experts believe this target can be met by following structured plans, using new trade tools and increasing private sector involvement.
Textiles, construction materials, defense equipment, electronics and agricultural goods are already major areas of trade between Pakistan and Turkiye. The two countries are working on removing non-tariff barriers and forming joint ventures to grow the economic corridor and support both job opportunities and industrial development.
Resuming the Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA), talking about Free Trade Agreement (FTA) systems and boosting B2B activity is likely to help reach this economic goal. PM Shehbaz said, “Because of our commitment and confidence, we can increase our trade from $1 billion to $5 billion in a few years.”
Defence and Technological Collaboration
Pakistan-Turkiye ties are mainly based on their efforts in defence cooperation. Already, the two countries have worked together on producing warships, UAVs and organizing training programs. Both countries confirmed their intent to deepen defense partnership by agreeing on co-producing, sharing information and increasing capabilities.
At the same time, technology and digital innovation were marked out as important areas to collaborate. Pakistan wanted to learn from Turkiye’s progress in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and aerospace technologies. Building such platforms and facilities should support both new inventions and opportunities for employment.
Shared Commitment to Regional Peace
The leaders agreed that regional stability, countering terrorism and building peace are important goals for South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. Because they have strong, active international policies, Pakistan and Turkiye are in agreement on many matters such as Palestine, Kashmir and the situation in Afghanistan.
They committed to using the OIC and other multilateral groups to support Muslim communities that are being oppressed worldwide.
Cultural and Educational Bonds
As well as economics and defense, cultural diplomacy also had a part in the Istanbul summit. Both leaders said they wish to have more programs for cultural exchange such as scholarships, documentaries and language education.
Because they share Islamic heritage and values, Pakistan and Turkiye are becoming culturally closer. Shows like “Dirilis: Ertugrul” and efforts to exchange historic architecture have already improved connections between people.
A Vision for the Future
In the end, both Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Erdogan committed to building the Pakistan-Turkiye relationship as a standard for regional cooperation. The talks mainly focused on future objectives to help keep up the momentum in diplomacy.
The participants decided that the next HLSCC meeting would be in Islamabad this year, demonstrating their wish to maintain swift progress. Working groups in different ministries will look after the action items, making sure that everyone remains accountable and work continues.
Conclusion: A New Chapter in Brotherhood
The meeting in Istanbul in 2025 proved that Pakistan and Turkey trust and support one another. As the partners focus on shared wealth, security, and regional balance, the strategic relationship is beginning in a new period.
Both countries share the same goal of peace, development and a cultural revival. Prime Minister Shehbaz said, “We can overcome difficulties and lift our partnership to new levels.”
The summit stands for hope, unity and the fact that the two nations are forming an ever stronger alliance.
