ISTANBUL: President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday held a meeting with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a brief stopover at Istanbul Airport en route to Portugal.
Foreign Minister of Turkiye Hakan Fidan warmly received the president at the airport.
In the meeting, President Zardari and President Erdogan discussed the bilateral ties and the matters of mutual interest besides exchanging courtesies.
During their meeting, the two leaders exchanged cordial remarks and discussed bilateral relations and matters of mutual interest.
After a brief meeting with Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President Asif Ali Zardari reached Portugal.
President Zardari is currently on a visit to Portugal to express condolences on the passing of Prince Karim Aga Khan.
According to a statement issued by the President House, Asif Ali Zardari will also meet President of Portugal Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
Meanwhile Daily Sabah reported on Monday that Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to visit Pakistan as part of his four-day trip to three Asian countries also including Malaysia and Indonesia.
President Erdogan’s tour, commencing from today, will see him visit Malaysia which will be followed by Indonesia meaning he will land in Islamabad.
During his visit, President Erdogan will take up various aspects of bilateral relations and his meetings will focus on improving cooperation in various fields.
The tour, also confirmed in a post on the president’s social media account, comes after President Asif Ali Zardari called on his Turkish counterpart during a brief stop at Istanbul Airport in Turkiye.
President Erdogan’s visit comes against the backdrop of increased cooperation between Ankara and Islamabad, especially in the defence sector with Pakistan inking a deal to procure Turkish vessels for the Pakistan Navy (PN).
The two countries also conducted a bilateral naval exercise Turgutreis-XI in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea in January.
The exercise was meticulously planned to enhance interoperability between the two navies, as participating units engaged in a variety of maritime operations and tactical manoeuvres.
Throughout the exercise, both navies reaffirmed their mutual commitment to strengthening cooperation in addressing emerging maritime challenges and ensuring regional maritime security.
The Turkish president’s visit also holds significance on the diplomatic front as various leaders have visited Pakistan in recent times with Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko being the last foreign leader to visit Islamabad back in November 2024.
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