ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Thursday that Pakistan and Turkiye would continue to pursue dialogue and diplomacy to de-escalate regional tensions while strengthening their defences under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.
Prime Minister Sharif made the remarks while addressing an event in Islamabad marking the 103rd national day of Turkiye. Pakistan and Turkiye enjoy strong bilateral ties and maintain multi-sectoral cooperation.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, emphasising stronger bilateral relations between Pakistan and Turkiye, called for an economic partnership to match the political and strategic bond between the two brotherly nations.
He was speaking as chief guest at a reception held in Islamabad marking the 103rd anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Turkiye.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, federal ministers and parliamentarians attended the event.
In his address, PM Shehbaz Sharif congratulated President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish government and the Turkish people. He said that under Erdogan’s leadership, Turkiye had become an economic powerhouse, a pioneer in defence technology and one of the world’s most generous humanitarian donors.
Recalling the Khilafat Movement, the prime minister said Muslims of the subcontinent, even under the British Raj, stood by that time Turkey during its war of independence. He said that generosity was returned in Pakistan’s hours of need, citing Turkiye’s quick response to the 2005 earthquake and President Erdogan’s visit to flood-hit areas in 2010.
He also recalled the gesture of Turkish First Lady Emine Erdogan, who donated her necklace for flood victims, and said Turkiye went on to build a hospital, a school and model villages in Muzaffargarh. The Recep Tayyip Erdogan Hospital and Emine Erdogan School continue to serve local people.
He also appreciated that Turkiye had stood firmly by Pakistan during last year’s Marka-e-Haq against India.
The prime minister described the Makkah Agreement, signed on August 7, 2026 between Pakistan, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia, as an important milestone that strengthens collective deterrence and shared commitment to regional peace and stability.
He said Pakistan would continue to champion dialogue, diplomacy, respect for international law and peaceful settlement of disputes.
On the economic cooperation, he recalled announcing the President Tayyip Erdogan Special Economic Zone in Karachi at the Pakistan-Turkiye Business Conference in Istanbul in July. He invited Turkish investors to look at Pakistan’s young population, strategic location and growing opportunities, and urged both sides to turn goodwill into joint ventures and jobs for young people.
The event also featured a cake-cutting to mark the celebration.
Welcoming the guests, Turkish Ambassador Dr. Irfan Neziroglu said the Turkish War of Liberation and the founding of the Republic in 1923, under Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, inspired many nations, including the Muslims of South Asia in their own struggles for independence. He noted that Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Allama Muhammad Iqbal both admired the Turkish struggle.
“When Pakistan hurts, Turkiye feels the pain. When Turkiye faces hardship, Pakistan stands beside us,” he said. “Turkiye and Pakistan are not simply friends. We are brothers by history, united by faith, bound by shared sacrifices.”
He said both countries aimed to build a stronger economic partnership and deepen their strategic alliance, while setting an example of cooperation on regional and international platforms.
He described the Makkah Defence Agreement and the “Badr” memorandum of understanding as the latest milestones in the relationship.
— Prime Minister’s Office (@PakPMO) October 29, 2026
PM Sharif said the Makkah Defence Agreement, signed on Aug 7 between Pakistan, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia, marked an “important milestone” in cooperation between Islamabad and Ankara.
“It strengthens our collective deterrence and reinforces our shared commitment to regional peace and stability,” PM Sharif noted.
“While we strengthen our defences, we shall continue to champion dialogue, diplomacy, respect for international law and the peaceful settlement of disputes.”
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif addresses the ceremony to celebrate the Republic Day of Turkiye. https://t.co/ENci51tT2v
— Prime Minister’s Office (@PakPMO) October 29, 2026
Prime Minister Sharif hailed Turkiye’s diplomatic support during Marka-i-Haq in May 2025, when India initiated unprovoked aggression against Pakistan, triggering a four-day conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
“Turkiye stood firmly by our side with unwavering commitment and dedication. This sincere act of solidarity was a profound source of comfort and strength for the people of Pakistan, a gesture that will forever remain etched in our hearts and our memories,” PM Sharif emphasised.
Prime Minister Sharif observed that Islamabad and Ankara’s relationship had evolved into a “multifaceted strategic partnership”, spanning political dialogue, defence, trade, culture and people-to-people ties, among other areas.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif cuts the cake to celebrate the Republic Day of Turkiye. https://t.co/YgEgcugwHR
— Prime Minister’s Office (@PakPMO) October 29, 2026
He stressed that the economic partnership between Pakistan and Turkiye needs to match the heights of the political and strategic bond between both nations.
“In July this year, at the Pakistan-Turkiye business conference in Istanbul, I announced the establishment of the President Tayyip Erdogan Special Economic Zone in Karachi,” PM Sharif said.
“Now I invite Turkish businessmen to look at Pakistan with its young population, strategic location and growing economic opportunities. Let us translate the goodwill between our two peoples into joint ventures, shared prosperity and meaningful jobs for our young people.”
During his speech, Prime Minister Sharif highlighted the longstanding, historic ties that the two countries shared, recalling that during the Khilafat Movement — a campaign to protect the Ottoman Empire after World War I — people donated whatever they could from the subcontinent, including money and jewellery, to support their “Turkish brethren”.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif attends the ceremony to celebrate Republic Day of Turkiye held in Islamabad, today. https://t.co/c7S9rdeaMm
— Prime Minister’s Office (@PakPMO) October 29, 2026
“A century ago, our forefathers sent their love across the seas. Generations later, that love returned to our doorsteps during our darkest times,” he added, referring to humanitarian aid from Turkiye during the 2005 earthquake and the devastating floods of 2010.
Prime Minister Sharif also highlighted that under Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s instructions, Turkiye established a modern hospital, a school and modern villages for the people of Muzaffargarh after the floods.
“The 100 years between the Khilafat Movement and that moment seemed to close into a single circle,” the Prime Minister said, noting that when a massive earthquake rocked Turkiye in February 2023, “the people of Pakistan grieved as if the rubble lay upon our own homes”.
“We stood with our Turkish brothers and sisters, in their hour of sorrow, just as they had stood with us.”
Earlier this month, Pakistan and Turkiye signed an agreement to enhance cooperation in combating terrorism, narcotics trafficking and organised crime and agreed to establish a joint working group to strengthen collaboration between their interior ministries.
The decisions were taken during a meeting between Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and his Turkish counterpart Mustafa Çiftçi in Istanbul.
