Turkey's Erdogan arrives in Pakistan as Islamabad seeks help from its allies to recover its economy

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan touched down in Islamabad on Thursday to kick start his two-day visit to Pakistan at the invitation of the country’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. He was welcomed at the Nur Khan Airbase in Rawalpindi by top Pakistani officials including Sharif and Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari, Geo News reported.

The Turkish leader also received a 21-gun salute, marking his arrival. As per the report, the Pakistan Air Force jets escorted his aircraft into the country’s airspace, to ensure the safety of the plane in which the president and his family were onboard. Erdogan was accompanied by a high-level delegation and was joined by Turkey’s First Lady Emine Erdogan. The delegation was arriving from Indonesia.

Sevgili kardeşim Cumhurbaşkanı Recep Tayyip Erdoğan @RTErdogan ve saygıdeğer kız kardeşim First Lady Emine Erdoğan, Pakistan halkıyla birlikte Pakistan'a geldiğiniz için size sıcak bir şekilde hoş geldiniz diyorum.

Kardeşim Cumhurbaşkanı Erdoğan, vizyon sahibi bir devlet adamı… pic.twitter.com/HndHpS0HnY

— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) February 12, 2025

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In his statement upon Erdogan’s arrival, Sharif called the Turkish president “a visionary statesman [who] has transformed Turkey”. “My brother President Erdogan is a visionary statesman who has transformed Turkey. Under his dynamic leadership, the historical, deep-rooted brotherly ties between Pakistan and Turkey have grown from strong to stronger,” the Pakistani prime minister wrote on X, formally known as Twitter. “With this historic visit by President Erdoğan, we are ready to carry these strong ties to even greater heights,” he added.

What is Erdogan doing in Pakistan?

According to Pakistani news outlet Dawn, the Turkish president will jointly chair “the 7th Session of the Pakistan-Turkiye High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC)” and the two sides are expected to sign several agreements. He will also hold bilateral meetings with both Zardari and Sharif on Thursday.

According to the ministry statement, HLSCC will provide “strategic direction to further strengthening the bilateral relations between the two countries.” “Pakistan and Turkey are bound by historic fraternal ties” and the visit by Erdogan “would serve to further deepen the brotherly relations and enhance multifaceted cooperation between the two countries," the statement furthered.

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It is pertinent to note that the Turkish leader’s visit came hours after the US Embassy issued a travel advisory, citing a threat by Pakistani Taliban against the Faisal mosque in Islamabad and asked its citizens to avoid visits to the mosque and nearby areas until further notice.