Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday condemned recent drone attacks targeting civilians in the Azeri region of Nakhchivan and expressed solidarity with both Azerbaijan and T&uuml;rkiye as tensions continue to rise across the wider region. In a statement posted on X, the prime minister said he spoke with Azerbaijan&rsquo;s President Ilham Aliyev and strongly denounced the attacks that struck civilian areas in the country&rsquo;s exclave of Nakhchivan. Sharif said he conveyed Pakistan&rsquo;s &ldquo;complete solidarity with the leadership and brotherly people of Azerbaijan&rdquo; during difficult time for the country. During the call, the prime minister also briefed Aliyev on Pakistan&rsquo;s ongoing diplomatic outreach in response to the rapidly evolving security situation in Iran and the broader Gulf region. Both leaders discussed the need to reduce tensions and agreed on the importance of diplomatic engagement to prevent further escalation. &ldquo;They agreed on the importance of de-escalation and stressed the urgent need to restore peace and stability in the region,&rdquo; officials said, adding that the two leaders would remain in close contact as developments unfold. In a separate message, PM Sharif also expressed deep concern over a recent attack targeting T&uuml;rkiye, reiterating Pakistan&rsquo;s support for Ankara amid the growing regional uncertainty. The prime minister said Pakistan stands &ldquo;in full solidarity with our brave Turkish brothers,&rdquo; warning that such incidents risk worsening an already volatile situation. Sharif reiterated that restraint and diplomacy remain essential to preventing a broader regional confrontation. &ldquo;The prime minister called for maximum restraint and emphasized the importance of dialogue and diplomacy to uphold respect for sovereignty and maintain peace and stability in the region,&rdquo; officials said. The diplomatic outreach comes as tensions across the Middle East and surrounding regions have escalated sharply following initial strikes by the United States and Israel on Iranian military and leadership targets, including facilities linked to the country&rsquo;s defense establishment. The strikes triggered retaliatory attacks by Iran across parts of the Gulf and neighboring regions, raising fears that the conflict could expand and draw in additional countries. Azerbaijan has accused Iran of carrying out drone strikes in its border region, with President Aliyev describing the attacks as &ldquo;terrorism&rdquo; after an airport and a school were reportedly hit. T&uuml;rkiye has also reported a missile-related incident linked to the widening hostilities. Turkish authorities said a ballistic missile launched from Iran traveled over Iraqi and Syrian airspace before being intercepted by NATO air defense systems. Against this backdrop, Pakistan has intensified diplomatic engagement with regional partners while calling for restraint, dialogue and renewed efforts to prevent the crisis from spiraling into a wider conflict.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif meets with President of Azerbaijan Illham Aliyev; Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir is also present (Friday, November 7, 2025). (File photo: Handout/PMO)

Foreign Affairs

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned drone attacks in Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan region and expressed solidarity with Azerbaijan and Türkiye, urging restraint and diplomacy as regional tensions escalate following retaliatory strikes linked to the widening Iran conflict.

Pakistan condemns attacks on Azerbaijan, Türkiye urges regional de-escalation

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday addressed a ceremony in Islamabad marking the 102nd Republic Day of Turkiye. He said the two nations continue to stand together &ldquo;to jointly share their joys and sorrows&rdquo; the Associated Press of Pakistan reported. The prime minister said that they had gathered to celebrate the great day with their Turkish brothers and sisters when Ghazi Mustafa Kemal Ataturk had laid a foundation of modern Turkiye.&nbsp; He added that the Turkish journey of progress and prosperity had moved at a remarkable pace since the vision of Ataturk began shaping modern Turkiye.&nbsp; &ldquo;Turkish flags are fluttering all over Islamabad today,&rdquo; the Prime Minister said, &ldquo;showing that our hearts beat with our Turkish brothers and sisters.&rdquo; The ceremony was attended by Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, ministers, parliamentarians, diplomats and officials.&nbsp; The Prime Minister said that Turkiye has always stood with Pakistan in difficult times, from wars to natural disasters. He recalled that during the 2005 earthquake and 2010 floods, Turkiye was among the first countries to provide assistance. Lauding President Erdogan&rsquo;s role, the prime minister said he had been a leading light of progress, prosperity and resilience not only for his own countrymen but in the entire world and the Muslim world. &nbsp; Referring to the recent conflict with India, he said Pakistan&rsquo;s armed forces, under the leadership of General Asim Munir and Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu, &ldquo;taught India an unforgettable lesson.&rdquo; He added that during that period, President Erdogan stood with Pakistan like a rock. PM Sharif also thanked Turkiye for its consistent support on the Kashmir issue and reaffirmed Pakistan&rsquo;s backing of Turkiye&rsquo;s position on Northern Cyprus.

PM Shehbaz says Turkiye has always stood with Pakistan in difficult times, from wars to natural disasters. recalls that during the 2005 earthquake and 2010 floods, Turkiye was among the first countries to provide assistance.

PM says Pak-Turkiye brotherly ties ever growing, strengthening

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and T&uuml;rkiye have discussed expanding maritime cooperation, including the potential launch of a ferry service between the two countries, as well as collaboration in shipbuilding, ship operations, and the shipbreaking sector.&nbsp;The meeting was held between Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry and T&uuml;rkiye&rsquo;s Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, according to a statement issued by the Press Information Department on Friday.&nbsp;Chaudhry said Pakistan attached &ldquo;great importance to its longstanding brotherly relations with T&uuml;rkiye&rdquo; and emphasized that enhanced cooperation in the maritime domain would strengthen regional trade and connectivity.&nbsp;He noted that Gwadar Port held &ldquo;immense potential&rdquo; for blue economy&ndash;related industries, and invited Turkish private sector investors to &ldquo;consider taking part in development and logistics projects centered around Gwadar.&rdquo;&nbsp;He added, &ldquo;Pakistan is committed to transforming Gwadar into a modern maritime and logistics hub that can significantly contribute to national and regional economic growth.&rdquo;&nbsp;Uraloğlu expressed T&uuml;rkiye&rsquo;s interest in deepening maritime ties and said the proposal for a ferry link would be reviewed with the relevant Turkish authorities.&nbsp;He stated that such a service &ldquo;could boost people-to-people exchanges, tourism, and bilateral trade by offering an affordable and efficient sea transport route.&rdquo;&nbsp;The Turkish minister also announced that a delegation of Turkish shipowners and port service providers would visit Pakistan soon, with a particular focus on exploring investment prospects at Gwadar.&nbsp;He appreciated Pakistan&rsquo;s efforts to modernize port infrastructure, saying Turkish companies were &ldquo;keen to participate in mutually beneficial ventures.&rdquo;&nbsp;Chaudhry welcomed the initiative and assured &ldquo;full support and facilitation&rdquo; for the upcoming delegation.&nbsp;Discussing the fisheries sector, he noted that Pakistan currently has a 25,000-ton quota for tuna, and suggested Turkish investors consider setting up value-added processing and canning facilities to tap into higher-value export markets.&nbsp;He also announced that Pakistan would host a major maritime conference within the next three months to bring together regional and international stakeholders from the maritime, logistics, and fisheries sectors.&nbsp;Both ministers reaffirmed their commitment to advancing Pakistan&ndash;T&uuml;rkiye cooperation through practical, mutually beneficial maritime collaboration, expressing confidence that stronger connectivity would contribute to shared prosperity and regional stability.

Economy

Islamabad and Istanbul discuss expanding maritime cooperation, including the potential launch of a ferry service between the two countries, as well as collaboration in shipbuilding, ship operations, and the shipbreaking sector.

Pakistan, Türkiye explore ferry service and shipbuilding cooperation

Shizza Jasmin

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and T&uuml;rkiye share an enduring bond founded on brotherhood, shared struggle, and resistance to imperial domination, a leading Turkish civil society figure said in an exclusive interview with Pakistan TV Digital last week.&nbsp;&nbsp;He urged global powers to &ldquo;abandon their colonial ambitions&rdquo; and allow smaller nations to thrive in peace.&nbsp;In a wide-ranging interview, İsmail Hakkı Turun&ccedil;, president of T&uuml;rkiye&rsquo;s July 15 Association, condemned the ongoing atrocities in Gaza, describing them as &ldquo;a direct consequence of imperial greed&rdquo; and a reflection of the exploitative mindset that continues to shape global politics.&nbsp;&ldquo;It is absolutely wrong for any country, especially those backed by powers like the US, the UK, France, or Germany, to invade others and take away their rights,&rdquo; Turun&ccedil; said. &ldquo;Such actions bring neither peace to Gaza nor security to those who support these aggressions.&rdquo;&nbsp;Turun&ccedil;, who has personally visited Gaza six times, said he was &ldquo;tortured&rdquo; during his last visit, adding that the suffering of Gazans mirrors the world&rsquo;s moral collapse in the face of oppression.&nbsp;&ldquo;Over 80,000 people have lost their lives in Gaza, thousands more have been wounded, and millions are confined to a tiny strip of land,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;This is not only a humanitarian tragedy but a reflection of an imperial, exploitative mentality that must end.&rdquo;&nbsp;&lsquo;T&uuml;rkiye stands with Pakistan&rsquo;&nbsp;Reaffirming T&uuml;rkiye&rsquo;s solidarity with Pakistan, Turun&ccedil; said his country has &ldquo;always stood by its brotherly nation,&rdquo; particularly in times of crisis or tension with India.&nbsp;&ldquo;Whenever we face hardship, the first country to rush to our side has always been Pakistan, both its government and its people,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We are brothers, and if a brother does not share in his brother&rsquo;s sorrow or joy, that cannot be called brotherhood.&rdquo;&nbsp;He recalled his first visit to Pakistan following the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, when he came as part of a Turkish humanitarian delegation.&nbsp;&ldquo;We built schools, established soup kitchens, and distributed food,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;That bond of brotherhood was not symbolic.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;It was lived and felt on the ground.&rdquo;&nbsp;Turun&ccedil; emphasized that both countries must continue to expand cooperation in areas such as economic development, energy, and humanitarian work.&nbsp;&ldquo;Each country should make use of its own resources to improve the lives of its citizens,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;No state should covet the wealth of another, that is what separates sovereignty from imperialism.&rdquo;&nbsp;The July 15 Association is a leading non-governmental organization in T&uuml;rkiye, established after the failed 2016 coup attempt, which left more than 250 people dead and thousands injured. The association works to commemorate the martyrs and veterans of that night, support their families, and preserve the memory of the public&rsquo;s resistance as a defining moment in T&uuml;rkiye&rsquo;s democratic history.&nbsp;On the night of July 15, 2016, a faction within the Turkish military attempted to overthrow the elected government. The attempt was thwarted after millions of civilians took to the streets in response to a call from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The Turkish government blames the coup on the G&uuml;len movement (FET&Ouml;), which has since been designated a terrorist organization by T&uuml;rkiye.&nbsp;Reflecting on those events, Turun&ccedil; said the coup attempt was &ldquo;an initiative backed by several imperial powers and carried out by traitors within the system.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;Thanks to the trust our people have in President Erdoğan, millions took to the streets,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The people won, the coup plotters lost. Praise be to God, there was joy and peace in our victory.&rdquo;&nbsp;He added that T&uuml;rkiye&rsquo;s experience serves as a lesson for nations like Pakistan that continue to resist foreign interference.&nbsp;&ldquo;We will never recognize any system other than democracy,&rdquo; he quoted President Erdoğan as saying. &ldquo;Those who want to abolish democracy will never be given the chance.&rdquo;&nbsp;&lsquo;World has enough for all, if shared fairly&rsquo;Calling for global cooperation and ethical resource distribution, Turun&ccedil; said the world must learn to share its wealth rather than exploit others.&nbsp;&ldquo;The world has enough resources to sustain far more than eight billion people if used wisely,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But the egoism of some and the exploitative mentality of others prevent fair sharing. This greed drives conflicts, occupations, and suffering, from Gaza to beyond.&rdquo;&nbsp;Concluding the interview, Turun&ccedil; expressed affection for the Pakistani people and optimism about the future of bilateral relations.&nbsp;&ldquo;The people of T&uuml;rkiye love Pakistan deeply,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;God willing, this brotherhood will last forever, and our friendship will continue for many generations to come.&rdquo;

In a wide-ranging interview, İsmail Hakkı Turunç, president of Türkiye’s July 15 Association, praises Pakistan-Türkiye brotherhood, condemns Gaza atrocities, recalls resisting the 2016 coup, and urges world powers to end imperial exploitation and share resources equitably.

Articles tagged with "Pakistan Turkiye Ties"

Pakistan condemns attacks on Azerbaijan, Türkiye urges regional de-escalation

PM says Pak-Turkiye brotherly ties ever growing, strengthening

Pakistan, Türkiye explore ferry service and shipbuilding cooperation

Pakistan, Türkiye stand united against imperial aggression: Turkish leader