Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to Visit Ankara for Talks with President Erdogan

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is scheduled to visit Ankara on Tuesday for an official meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The discussions will encompass a broad spectrum of subjects, including bilateral cooperation and evolving dynamics in the region.

During his visit, the Prime Minister is expected to engage in comprehensive talks with President Erdogan regarding mutual relations. They will also exchange perspectives on current regional and international developments, according to a statement from the Foreign Office (FO).

The FO statement highlighted the strong relationship between the two countries, noting, “Pakistan and Turkiye, as enduring allies and strategic partners, uphold a tradition of frequent high-level engagements, which demonstrates the exceptional fraternal ties between the two nations.”

Both nations employ a formalized leadership-level framework known as the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC) to facilitate collaboration and coordination on various matters of shared importance.

The HLSCC, established in 2009, functions as the paramount decision-making body between Pakistan and Turkiye. It guides bilateral relations through collaborative standing committees that address areas such as trade, investment, defense, energy, agriculture, healthcare, and education.

The 7th HLSCC session took place in Islamabad in February 2025, and was jointly chaired by President Erdogan and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The Foreign Office statement concluded, “This forthcoming meeting signifies the continuation of this strong dialogue and reaffirms the mutual dedication to further strengthen the multifaceted partnership between Pakistan and Turkiye.”

This visit follows President Erdogan’s visit to Islamabad in February 2025, where the two countries inked 24 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and restated their commitment to increasing bilateral trade to $5 billion.

Significant agreements encompassed expanding the Trade in Goods Agreement (TGA), enhancing collaboration in defense, and promoting Turkish investments in Pakistan.

Both leaders also committed to activating the Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul trade corridor and reinforcing collaboration in energy, finance, and digital commerce.

President Erdogan remarked, “We have concurred with Prime Minister Sharif to persist in our endeavors to attain the $5 billion trade volume target between Turkiye and Pakistan. As an initial step, we are broadening the scope of our existing goods trade agreement to achieve this objective.”

In 2024, bilateral trade between Turkiye and Pakistan achieved a record peak of $1.4 billion, reflecting a nearly 30% increase from the preceding year.

Both leaders voiced optimism regarding building upon this growth, with President Erdogan encouraging Turkish investors to engage more actively within Pakistan’s expanding market.