Shehbaz Sharif Istanbul Visit Boosts Pakistan-Turkey Ties

Pakistan vs Istanbul – (Web Desk) – Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Istanbul visit has opened a new chapter in economic ties between Pakistan and Turkey. During his trip, the premier invited Turkish firms to invest in key sectors of Pakistan’s economy, including energy, mining, infrastructure, maritime trade, telecom, and agriculture.

The visit comes at the invitation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Sharif’s office confirmed that talks during the trip will focus on trade, investment, and regional security matters.

Pakistan and Turkey already share close political, economic, and defense links. Both nations are also part of the R-4 group, a diplomatic alliance formed in March along with Egypt and Saudi Arabia to discuss regional issues together.

While in Istanbul, PM Sharif met separately with top Turkish business figures. These included Çalık Holding Chairman Ahmet Çalık, Albayrak Group Chairman Ahmet Albayrak, and Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, head of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey.

Sharif asked Turkish firms to grow their presence across Pakistan’s priority areas. This covers energy, mining and minerals, infrastructure, maritime and logistics, IT, telecom, manufacturing, farming, and privatization projects.

During his meeting with Çalık Holding, the prime minister pointed to chances in energy, infrastructure, IT, and privatization. He also urged the Albayrak Group to put more money into port upgrades, maritime infrastructure, and logistics.

Sharif is also set to speak at a Pakistan-hosted business event during the trip. The event will spotlight investment options in special economic zones, along with energy, IT, and privatization sectors.

Turkey and Pakistan have been growing their energy sector ties, including deep-sea drilling and exploration work. Pakistan is looking for foreign investment to fight energy shortages, lower fuel imports, and make better use of its mineral wealth.

Islamabad is also buying four Turkish-designed corvettes, with two being built at Karachi Shipyard using Turkish support. The two sides are also looking into Turkish armed drones, along with joint work on avionics, propulsion, and surveillance systems.

This marks Sharif’s second visit to Turkey this year. He last traveled there in April as part of his Middle East tour, when Pakistan pushed for a peaceful end to the US-Israel conflict with Iran.