Turkish envoy calls for deeper Pakistan-Türkiye cooperation in education sector

ISLAMABAD: Turkish Ambassador Irfan Neziroğlu on Thursday said Pakistan and Türkiye must deepen cooperation in the field of education, stressing that academic exchange and people-to-people contacts are vital to strengthening the historic brotherly ties between the two countries.

Speaking at an orientation programme for 166 Pakistani students awarded Türkiye scholarships in 2025 at the Turkish Embassy in Islamabad, Ambassador Neziroğlu noted that this year marked a record intake from Pakistan.

“Every year, nearly 30,000 students apply for Türkiye Scholarships, and we are proud that a record number of Pakistani students will now pursue undergraduate, master’s and doctoral studies in Türkiye on fully funded scholarships,” he said.

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He added that in addition to Türkiye Scholarships offered by YTB, Pakistani students also benefit from opportunities provided by institutions such as TÜBİTAK, the Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) and IHH.

“Currently, around 5,000 Pakistani students are studying in Türkiye, but this number does not reflect the depth of our brotherly ties. We want to rapidly increase this figure in the near future,” the envoy said.

Emphasising education as a bridge between nations, Neziroğlu remarked: “Türkiye supports Pakistani students in every field because cooperation in education is an investment in our shared future.” He also expressed satisfaction over the upcoming cultural trip of 200 outstanding Pakistani students to Türkiye in October and November, organised on the instruction of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Mehmet Toyran, Education Counsellor at the Turkish Embassy, also addressed the gathering, underlining the role of education in strengthening relations and promoting literacy.

“Türkiye sees Pakistan’s success as its own, and we will continue to support initiatives that expand access to education and opportunities for Pakistani youth,” he said.

The programme concluded with a detailed presentation and question-and-answer session by Dr Tahir Shah, Secretary of the Education Counsellor’s Office, for the selected students ahead of their academic journey in Türkiye.