Istanbul: Pakistan and Turkiye on Saturday vowed to standby each other through thick and thin, and reiterated their resolve to boost trade ties by enhancing bilateral trade volume to $5 billion.
Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made the remarks during a joint press briefing in Istanbul following talks covering bilateral relations and wider regional issues.
The Turkish president began his speech by welcoming PM Shehbaz Sharif and his delegation, saying their discussions covered bilateral ties and regional and global affairs. “We always stand by each other,” he said, expressing satisfaction over the pace of bilateral relations.
President Erdogan emphasised the importance of the Islamabad memorandum of understanding – recently signed between US and Iran – for global peace, hailing Pakistan’s efforts for peace, prosperity and economic development.
According to the Turkish President, his discussions with PM Shehbaz Sharif also focused on increasing trade, investment and economic cooperation.
PM Shehbaz Sharif, meanwhile, thanked President Erdogan for the warm welcome and hospitality, reiterating that Pakistan and Turkiye shared a deep and enduring bond. He noted that Turkiye has consistently stood by Pakistan in times of war and natural disasters.
The prime minister highlighted his meetings with Turkish business leaders at the Business Forum, saying Pakistan and Turkiye were committed to achieving the $5 billion bilateral trade target.
Before his meeting with President Erdogan, PM Shehbaz Sharif addressed the Pakistan-Turkiye B2B Conference in Istanbul, highlighting historic ties, economic cooperation prospects, and diplomatic efforts across key regional and global issues.
“Turkiye is Pakistan’s strong and sincere ally, and our relationship is historic,” he said, adding that the foundation of this enduring relationship was laid during the Khilafat Movement, recalling that the Ali Brothers, alongside Muslims of the subcontinent, supported Turkiye’s struggle for independence.
The prime minister noted that Turkiye has consistently stood by Pakistan in every difficult moment, adding that Islamabad was able to play a mediatory role in the US-Iran conflict due to President Erdogan’s sincere support.
“The difficult diplomatic mission was never easy,” he said, adding that a ceasefire had now been achieved and that “it is essential to fully benefit from the opportunity of peace.”
PM Shehbaz Sharif also stressed the need to benefit from Turkish expertise in reforms such as power distribution companies’ privatisation and improving the transmission system.
Recalling Pakistan’s armed conflict with India in May last year, the prime minister acknowledged that Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and other friendly countries supported Pakistan’s position during that period.
In the joint presser with PM Shehbaz Sharif, President Erdogan said that the Middle East peace efforts could not succeed without regional backing and that Israel must not be allowed to “dynamite” the US-Iran peace deal.
“No solution that does not take strength from the will and contributions of regional countries can be lasting,” he said, adding that Turkiye was closely following “the Israeli administration’s attempts to dynamite the (US-Iran) deal.”
“The current war-addicted Israeli government must not be allowed to drown our geography in the smell of gunpowder and blood again,” the Turkish president said.
Erdogan said that Ankara aimed to deepen cooperation with Pakistan in energy, transport, critical minerals, information technology and defence, while pursuing a bilateral trade target of $5 billion.
Meanwhile in a statement issued on X, PM Shehbaz Sharif said that it was a great pleasure and honour to meet my very dear brother, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in the historic city of Istanbul on Saturday.
PM Shehbaz Sharif said ‘Our discussions covered the full spectrum of the Pakistan-Trkiye Strategic Partnership, with particular focus on trade, investment, defence cooperation, energy, connectivity, technology, regional peace, and people-to-people exchanges’.
PM Shehbaz Sharif said we reaffirmed our shared belief that dialogue, diplomacy, and mutual respect remain the only sustainable path to resolving disputes and preserving international peace and security.
PM Shehbaz Sharif said ‘I thanked President Erdogan for his warm hospitality. We also agreed to fully leverage the immense potential of our partnership to achieve our mutually agreed target of USD 5 billion in bilateral trade and to take the enduring bonds of brotherhood between Pakistan and Trkiye to even greater heights’.
PM Shehbaz Sharif said ‘earlier today, I attended the Pakistan-Trkiye Business Conference, where I met distinguished representatives of Trkiye’s vibrant business community. Their optimism, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit reinforced my conviction that the economic partnership between Pakistan and Trkiye is entering a new and exciting chapter under President Erdogan’s visionary leadership’.