Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul and thanked him for supporting Pakistan during the recent military clash with India. The meeting happened while India and Türkiye are facing diplomatic tensions because Turkey backed Pakistan during Operation Sindoor.
“Had the honour of meeting my dear brother President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul this evening. Thanked him for his resolute support to Pakistan in the recent Pakistan-India standoff, which resulted in Pakistan’s overwhelming victory, Alhamdolillah! Conveyed the sentiments of gratitude from the people of Pakistan to their Turkish brothers and sisters,” said Sharif in a post on X.
He also posted a photo of himself holding hands with Erdogan while walking together.
Sharif, Erdogan vow to boost ties
“We also reviewed the ongoing progress of our multifaceted bilateral engagements particularly in trade and investment and reaffirmed our resolve to continue working closely to further strengthen these unshakable bonds of brotherhood and cooperation. Long live Pakistan Turkiye Friendship,” he added.
Responding to Sharif’s post, Erdogan said they talked about important topics like economy, trade, and security. “We reaffirmed and strengthened our determination to enhance the deep-rooted historical, human, and political relations between Türkiye and Pakistan in all areas,” he wrote.
“As my dear brother @CMShehbaz expressed, we further solidified the unshakable bonds, cooperation, solidarity, and brotherhood between our countries and peoples. I convey my heartfelt affection to our Pakistani brothers through Mr. Sharif. I thank him and his delegation for their visit. May our Lord make our unity, togetherness, and brotherhood everlasting…” he added.
India-Turkey Tensions Rise Over Pakistan
Tensions between India and Turkey have grown after Turkey supported Pakistan during a recent four-day military conflict between India and Pakistan. During the clash, Pakistan also used drones made in Turkey, which added to the tension.
On Thursday, May 22, India said it wants Turkey to clearly tell Pakistan to stop supporting cross-border terrorism and to take strong action against terrorist groups.
“We expect Turkey to strongly urge Pakistan to end its support to cross-border terrorism and take credible and verifiable actions against the terror ecosystem it has harboured for decades,” said Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs.
India has also taken action by cancelling the security clearance of the Turkish aviation company Celebi. This company used to provide ground services at nine Indian airports, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Goa’s MOPA airport.
Jaiswal said that the issue has been talked about with the Turkish Embassy in India.
“The Celebi matter has been discussed with the Turkish Embassy here. But I understand that this decision was made by the Civil Aviation Security,” he said.
