Photo courtesy of Anadolu
Türkiye and Pakistan are moving to expand bilateral cooperation as Istanbul prepares to host separate political and defense discussions involving the two countries and Saudi Arabia.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met Sunday, with regional peace and security among the issues discussed.
Pakistan said the ministers reviewed cooperation spanning economic, political, security and cultural affairs and welcomed progress in relations between Ankara and Islamabad.
Both sides also agreed to move toward an early meeting of the Pakistan-Türkiye High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council, a key mechanism for coordinating bilateral initiatives.
The talks were held at the Turkish Foreign Ministry’s office in Istanbul. Ankara confirmed the meeting and released photographs but did not provide a detailed account of the discussions.
Fidan and Dar also exchanged views on international and regional developments, with both sides pledging to maintain coordination on issues affecting regional stability.
Their discussions preceded a separate meeting scheduled in Istanbul on Monday involving officials from Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
The three countries are expected to convene the first meeting of a political and defense committee under the Mecca defense pact signed earlier this month.