Turkish President Erdogan touches down in Pakistan for official visit

ISLAMABAD: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Islamabad on a two-day official visit of Pakistan in early hours of Thursday.

His arrival at the Nur Khan airbase was met with a grand welcome, featuring high-ranking officials, including President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other key government figures.

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Upon entering Pakistani airspace, the Turkish president’s aircraft was escorted by Pakistan Air Force JF-17 fighter jets. The reception was characterised by a ceremonial 21-gun salute.

Erdogan was accompanied by a high-level delegation, which included ministers, senior officials and prominent business personalities.

The First Lady of Turkey, Emine Erdogan, was also present, and both she and the Turkish president were greeted with bouquets by children dressed in traditional shalwaar kameez.

The welcome ceremony featured a performance by the military band, while children waved the flags of both, Pakistan and turkey.

During his stay, Erdogan is scheduled to engage in high-level discussions with Sheba and Zardari. The agwnda of these discussions  is expected to focus on strengthening bilateral ties and enhancing economic cooperation. A key highlight of the visit will be the co-chairing of the seventh session of the Pakistan-Turkey High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC) by Erdogan and Shehbaz.

The HLSCC serves as the highest decision-making platform between the two countries. It oversees multiple joint standing committees that focus on various sectors, including trade, investment, transport, communications, IT, health, science and technology, and education. The last meeting of the HLSCC took place in February 2020.

President Erdogan is also expected to address the Pakistan-Turkey Business and Investment Forum, which aims to bring together leading investors and business leaders from both countries.

The visit comes shortly after a brief meeting between Zardari and Erdogan at Istanbul Airport, where they exchanged cordial remarks and discussed matters of mutual interest.

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As part of the visit, several key agreements and memorandum of understanding (MoUs) are expected to be signed. The two leaders will also hold a joint press conference to address the outcomes of their discussions and the agreements reached during the visit.