Sharif plans visits to Turkey, Azerbaijan over support during India's Op Sindoor

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will begin his visit to Turkey, Azerbaijan, Iran and Tajikistan from May 25 to express his gratitude for being Islamabad’s “friends” and standing by its side following India’s Operation Sindoor and the subsequent military conflict.

According to the Foreign Office, the prime minister during the visit would have “wide-ranging discussions with the leaders of these countries on the entire range of issues covering bilateral relations and matters of regional and international importance”.

“He will also have the opportunity to express the deepest appreciation and acknowledgement for the support extended to Pakistan by the friendly countries during the recent crisis with India,” the Foreign Office said.

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Sharif’s visit comes as India has dispatched diplomatic outreach delegations to various countries to carry the message of New Delhi’s fight against Pakistan’s state-sponsored terrorism.

Turkey has been siding with Pakistan after India launched Operation Sindoor following the killing of 26 people in Pahalgam on April 22. Ankara has not only condemned India’s military operation but also supplied drones to Pakistan that were used to target Indian cities and military installations.

A preliminary probe into the debris of Pakistani drones thwarted by India’s air defence systems on May 9 reveals that the country used the Turkey-made Songar armed drone system.

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Songar is an armed drone system developed and produced by Asisguard, a subsidiary of Asis Electronics and Information Systems, to enhance capabilities in low-intensity conflict scenarios. It is the first domestically produced armed drone to be deployed by the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) and the first indigenous Turkish drone equipped with a machine gun.

During Operation Sindoor, Azerbaijan supported Pakistan and condemned India’s military strikes on terror camps, aligning with Islamabad’s claim that the attacks resulted in civilian casualties. Azerbaijan also expressed solidarity with the Pakistani people during this period.

Subsequently, in India, there were growing calls to boycott Turkey and Azerbaijan over their support for Pakistan during a time of national crisis.

With inputs from agencies