Turkish President Erdogan receives grand welcome at PM House

ISLAMABAD: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was greeted warmly at the Prime Minister’s House after he arrived in Pakistan on Thursday on an official visit.

The smartly turned-out contingents of the armed forces presented a guard of honour to President Erdogan.

The Turkish leader and First Lady Emine Erdogan, who are visiting Pakistan for two days, were greeted by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. During the welcoming ceremony, the national anthems of the brotherly nations were played as the dignitaries stood at the salute dias.

The Turkish president planted a pine tree sapling in the lawn of the PM House to mark the deep-rooted friendship between the two nations.

The prime minister introduced the Turkish president to members of the federal cabinet. PM Shehbaz also met Erdogan’s cabinet members, who were also present on the occasion.

Later, Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir also met Erdogan and extended greetings on his visit. The Turkish president was also honoured with a flypast by F-16 fighter jets.

Erdogan, accompanied by the First Lady and a delegation of investors and business leaders, landed at Noor Khan Airbase late last night.

President Asif Ali Zardari and PM Shehbaz personally welcomed him at the airport. As part of the ceremonial reception, a 21-gun salute was presented to the distinguished guest.

His visit includes high-level engagements aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and economic cooperation between Pakistan and Türkiye.

During his visit, the Turkish president will co-chair the seventh meeting of the Pakistan-Turkiye High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC) alongside PM Shehbaz.

The meeting will conclude with a joint declaration, and several key agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) are expected to be signed. The two leaders will also address a joint press conference.

Additionally, President Erdogan will hold separate meetings with the prime minister and President Zardari.

He is also set to speak at the Pakistan-Turkiye Business and Investment Forum, which will be attended by leading investors, companies, and business figures from both countries.

The HLSCC is the highest decision-making platform between Pakistan and Türkiye, providing strategic direction to bilateral relations.

It oversees multiple joint standing committees focused on trade, investment, banking, finance, culture, tourism, energy, defence, agriculture, transport, communications, IT, health, science and technology, and education.

Six HLSCC meetings have been held so far, with the last one taking place in Islamabad on 13-14 February 2020.

Pakistan and Turkiye share historic and brotherly ties. President Erdogan’s visit and the seventh HLSCC session will further deepen these relations and enhance multi-dimensional cooperation between the two nations.