Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received a grand welcome at the Prime Minister’s House upon his arrival in Pakistan for a two-day official visit on Thursday.
Pride of Pakistan F16 fighter jets and JF 17 Thunder presenting Salute to Turkish President in Islamabad. COAS General Asim Munir also present in PM House . #PakistanTürkiyeFriendship pic.twitter.com/mREzk6GS1n
— Malik Ali Raza (@MalikAliiRaza) February 13, 2025
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif warmly greeted President Erdogan and First Lady Emine Erdogan, with a formal salute in their honor. The national anthems of both countries were played as part of the welcoming ceremony. The prime minister introduced the Turkish president to members of the federal cabinet and, in turn, met with Erdogan’s accompanying cabinet members.
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Later, Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir also met President Erdogan and extended greetings on his visit. In recognition of the Turkish leader, a spectacular flypast by F-16 fighter jets was performed.
Erdogan, along with the First Lady and a delegation of investors and business leaders, arrived at Noor Khan Airbase late Wednesday night. He was personally welcomed at the airport by President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. A 21-gun salute was given as part of the ceremonial reception.
The visit includes high-level engagements aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and enhancing economic cooperation between Pakistan and Türkiye. A key highlight of the visit is the seventh meeting of the Pakistan-Türkiye High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC), which President Erdogan will co-chair alongside Prime Minister Shehbaz.
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The meeting will conclude with a joint declaration, and multiple significant agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) are expected to be signed. The two leaders will also address a joint press conference.
Additionally, President Erdogan will hold separate meetings with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari. He is also scheduled to deliver a speech at the Pakistan-Türkiye Business and Investment Forum, attended by leading investors, business figures, and companies from both countries.
The HLSCC serves as the highest decision-making platform between Pakistan and Türkiye, providing strategic direction for bilateral relations. It oversees joint standing committees on various sectors, including trade, investment, banking, finance, culture, tourism, energy, defense, agriculture, transport, communications, IT, health, science and technology, and education.
Six HLSCC meetings have been held so far, with the most recent one taking place in Islamabad on February 13-14, 2020.
Pakistan and Türkiye share historic and brotherly ties. President Erdogan’s visit and the seventh HLSCC session are expected to further strengthen these relations and expand multi-dimensional cooperation between the two nations.