Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan met his Pakistani counterpart Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday amid heightened tensions with India. The interaction in Istanbul came even as Field Marshal General Asim Munir met the Turkish Land Forces Commander during an official visit. Officials in Istanbul had earlier indicated that the two countries would ‘discuss bilateral relations, regional and international issues, including the fight against terrorism’. Erdogan’s office said Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Defence Minister Yasar Guler also attended the meeting.
Erdogan’s office said he told Sharif it was in the interest of Turkey and Pakistan to increase solidarity in education, intelligence sharing and technological support in the fight against terrorism. An update from the Turkish Presidential office noted that Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defence Minister Yasar Guler and intelligence agency chief Ibrahim Kalin also attended the meeting.
Istanbul had sparked outrage and calls for a ‘boycott’ of Turkey earlier this month after expressing solidarity with Pakistan amidst Operation Sindoor. Indian travel organisations have since issued travel advisories while traders blocked various imports from the country. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security had also revoked the security clearance of Turkey-linked Celebi Aviation last week while Mumbai Airport authorities terminated its contract.
The Turkey-Pakistan defense relationship has also come into focus this month after the Eurasian country reportedly sent military supplies to Karachi days after the deadly Pahalgam attack. Istanbul insists that these routine deployments and denied transporting arms. However reports indicate the use of
The Turkish-Pakistani defence relationship has also drawn attention. A Turkish Ada-class anti-submarine corvette docked at Karachi port on May 2, while a Turkish C-130 Hercules military aircraft landed in Karachi on April 27, reportedly carrying military supplies. Turkey insists these were, yet reports confirm the use of Turkish-made Songar drones by Pakistan during the conflict with India. The two countries share deep-rooted historical and ideological ties — with Erdogan vowing to stand by Pakistan “in good times and bad in the future” in a recent message for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
“We expect Turkey to strongly urge Pakistan to end its support to cross-border terrorism and take credible and verifiable actions against the terror ecosystem it has harboured for decades. Relations are built on the basis of sensitivities to each other’s concerns,” the Indian Ministry of External Affairs had said earlier this week.