Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is visiting Pakistan to co-chair the 7th Session of the Pakistan-Turkiye High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC) and enhance bilateral relations, especially as Islamabad has undergone an economic crisis.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Erdoğan signed multiple bilateral agreements as Pakistan looks to deepen its partnership with Turkey. Following the signing of the deal, Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif said, “On behalf of the people of Pakistan, my government and myself, would like to extend a heartfelt welcome to Pakistan, to your second home. It is wonderful to have you after five years.”

“Within the framework of this visit, we have signed a total of 24 agreements and MoUs in the fields of trade, water resources, agriculture, energy, culture, family and social services along with science, banking, education, defense and health.”

“We have reached an agreement with Prime Minister Sharif to reach a goal of $5 billion trade volume between Türkiye and Pakistan,” Erdoğan added.

The MoUs signed in diverse sectors include four in defence, three MoUs on promotion of trade and industrial cooperation, two MoUs in water and seed production, two MoUs in power, energy and mining sector, two MoUs in scientific education and training, two MoUs in banking. MoUs are also signed to promote cooperation in aerospace industry, health and pharmaceuticals, Halal food, cooperation in religious services and education, cultural cooperation and co-production.

Both countries also exchanged two MoUs signed by the Pakistan-Turkiye Business Forum to enhance bilateral cooperation.

President Erdoğan’s visit at the invitation by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, recently marks one of the country's rare high-level meetings. The last such event occurred in October 2024 when Islamabad hosted the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.

Pakistan gave the Turkish president a grand and warm welcome as he visited the country after five years. The welcome was a wonderful display of hospitality, from fighter jet salutes to cultural dance performances.

On Thursday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was received in Rawalpindi by Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari. Upon his arrival at the Prime Minister's residence in Islamabad, he was accorded a guard of honour.

At the PM House, Erdoğan was welcomed by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir and was honoured with a salute featuring various fighter jets, including F-16s. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif introduced members of his Cabinet to Erdoğan, including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, and other officials.

As Erdoğan’s motorcade travelled along Constitution Avenue in Islamabad, the street was adorned with flags from both countries and banners highlighting their close friendship. Several cultural dance performances were organised along the route to commemorate the occasion. Additionally, the Pakistani government created a special song in Erdoğan’s honour, which was aired on multiple TV channels nationwide.