RAWALPINDI: Pakistan and Turkiye’s top military leadership on Friday discussed ways to strengthen bilateral defence and military cooperation.
General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu, Chief of the Turkish General Staff, met Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, at General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a press release.
The Chief of the Turkish General Staff was presented with the guard of honour by a smartly turned contingent of the Pakistan Armed Forces upon his arrival at GHQ.
“During the meeting, besides dilating upon matters of mutual interest, prevailing regional and global security landscape, and prospects for strengthening bilateral defence and military cooperation were also discussed,” ISPR stated.
The military leadership of both countris expressed satisfaction on current trajectory of Pakistan-Turkiye relations while underscoring the requirement of maintaining close coordination and enhancing defence collaboration, ISPR said.
Speaking on the occasion, Field Marshal Munir highlighted the “longstanding brotherly relationship” between Pakistan and Turkiye, rooted in shared history, mutual trust, and strong people-to-people ties.
Field Marshal Munir appreciated the support and cooperation extended by the Turkish Armed Forces and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to further strengthening bilateral military-to-military relations, according to ISPR.
General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu expressed gratitude for the warm reception and appreciated the professionalism of the Pakistan Armed Forces, ISPR said.
He reaffirmed Turkiye’s resolve to deepen defence cooperation with Pakistan, including training, joint exercises, and capacity-building initiatives.
The visit reflects the enduring strategic partnership between Pakistan and Turkiye and their shared commitment to regional peace, stability, and security, ISPR said.
Pakistan and Turkiye maintain close and robust diplomatic, economic and defence relations, with military cooperation forming a major pillar of their partnership.
Last month, a high-level delegation of Turkish aerospace and defence manufacturers visited Pakistan to explore joint ventures, co-production and technology-sharing opportunities.
In August 2025, the navies of both countries conducted their first bilateral amphibious exercise to strengthen maritime coordination.
Turkish defence firms have played a key role in modernising Pakistan’s Agosta 90B-class submarines and have supplied Islamabad with advanced military hardware, including drones.
The two countries also regularly conduct joint military drills. Their most recent exercise, Ataturk-XIII in February 2025, brought together special forces units for combat training aimed at improving their ability to operate effectively together in the field.
