Turkiye, Pakistan agree on efforts to reach trade volume target of $5bn

Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said today that he has agreed with Pakistan’s prime minister to intensify efforts aimed at reaching a bilateral trade volume of $5 billion. Erdogan made his comment during a joint news conference with Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad, Anadolu has reported.

In light of the deep-rooted historical ties between the two nations, the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council, which was established in 2009, stands as the highest-level mechanism institutionalizing Turkiye-Pakistan solidarity, said Erdogan.

“We have just concluded the seventh meeting of our council, where we reaffirmed our commitment to further strengthening our relations,” the president pointed out. “Within this framework, we signed 24 agreements covering trade, water resources, agriculture, energy, culture, family and social services, science, banking, education, defence and healthcare.”

Erdogan added that they have organised a business forum with the participation of entrepreneurs from various sectors. “We encourage our investors, who are the driving force of economic cooperation, to engage more actively in Pakistan.”

The Turkish leader arrived in the Pakistani capital on an official visit on Wednesday, after visiting Malaysia and Indonesia.

He stressed that another testament to the exceptional ties between Ankara and Islamabad is their solidarity during difficult times, recalling that after the 6 February 2023 earthquakes, Sharif was the first foreign leader to visit the affected region.

On security matters, he acknowledged Pakistan’s great sacrifices in combating terrorism and threats to regional stability. “We reaffirm our support for Pakistan in its fight against all forms of terrorism,” he said, while noting Pakistan’s support in Turkiye’s fight against all forms of terrorism, “including the PKK, YPG, Daesh (ISIS) and FETO.”

Turkiye, said Erdogan, continues to stand in solidarity with the Kashmiris, just as it did in the past, “Our support for resolving the Kashmir issue through dialogue, based on UN resolutions and taking into account the expectations of our Kashmiri brothers, remains permanent.” He also said that Pakistan’s support for the “just” cause of the Turkish Cypriots is extremely meaningful to Ankara.

Sharif expressed Pakistan’s “unwavering” support for Turkiye and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The island of Cyprus has been mired in a decades-long dispute between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots despite a series of diplomatic efforts by the UN to achieve a comprehensive settlement. There has been an on-off peace process in recent years, including a failed 2017 initiative in Switzerland under the auspices of guarantor countries Turkiye, Greece and the UK.

Emphasizing that Ankara appreciates Islamabad’s stance on the Palestinian issue, Erdogan explained that Turkiye and Pakistan strive to provide the necessary support for the just cause of the Palestinians at the UN, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and other platforms.

Referring to US President Donald Trump’s proposal to displace Palestinians in Gaza from their homeland, Erdogan said that at a time when such unlawful proposals are being made “we believe we must strengthen our resolute stance. We will strive persistently for the establishment of an independent and sovereign state of Palestine, based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital and maintaining its territorial integrity.”

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