ANKARA CHAT
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister engage in discussions on regional and global matters.
In a friendly phone call on Sunday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif tackled a variety of topics, from their nations' bilateral relations to regional and global issues.
Here's a breakdown:
Bonding Over the Past
Erdogan highlighted the enduring friendship and mutual solidarity shared between Turkey (or Türkiye) and Pakistan. In fact, efforts to strengthen this historic bond have been in full swing.
Congratulatory Exchange
Erdogan warmly congratulated Sharif on the festival of Eid al-Adha, recalling his own visit to Pakistan earlier this year in February.
Sharif, for his part, reciprocated by dropping by Türkiye in May. That meeting focused on fortifying bilateral ties and planning further cooperation.
Future Collaboration
During their talk, Sharif declared his intentions to speed up the execution of the vital decisions made during recent meetings, with a particular focus on enhanced trade and investment.
Both leaders also touched upon regional and global matters, including the crisis in Gaza, expressing solidarity and support for their shared national interests.
Recent Developments
Recent interactions between Turkey and Pakistan show a firm push towards increased trade, energy, and security cooperation. Some notable advancements and agreements include:
Economic Partnership
In May 2025, the two leaders met in Ankara with the goal of boosting economic and strategic ties, aiming to raise the annual bilateral trade between the two countries to $5 billion[1][2].
Infrastructure Enhancement
A key focus is improving the efficiency of the Istanbul-Tehran-Islamabad railway line, envisioned as a potential economic corridor linking Asia and the Middle East[1][2].
Cooperative Agreements
In June 2025, Turkey and Pakistan signed 24 cooperative agreements covering defense, energy, trade, agriculture, technology, and more[3][4].
Defense Collaboration
These accords include protocols related to military personnel exchange, air force electronic warfare cooperation, and military health training[3].
Energy Collaboration
Agreements in the energy sector center around cooperation in hydrocarbons, energy transition, and mining, aiming to strengthen collaboration in these fields[3].
Counterterrorism Alliance
The discussions also emphasized the necessity of boosting counterterrorism collaboration, a move seen as beneficial for both countries[1][2].
Together, these developments suggest a resolve to bolster bilateral relationships and utilize political accord for economic and strategic gains.
Politics dominated the conversation as Erdogan and Sharif discussed the enhancement of trade and investment, aiming to reach $5 billion annually, in light of the recent economic partnership agreement between Turkey and Pakistan. Furthermore, the leaders delved into general-news topics such as strengthening the Istanbul-Tehran-Islamabad railway line for potential economic corridor development, as well as signing 24 cooperative agreements covering various sectors like defense, energy, agriculture, technology, and more.
