Türkiye keen on setting up defence and high-tech production in Pakistan

Amid shifting regional alignments and growing demand for advanced defence capabilities, Pakistan and Türkiye are moving toward deeper defence and high-tech industry cooperation.

A high-level Turkish delegation in Islamabad, led by Ahmet Khan, Group CEO and Honorary Investment Counsellor of Pakistan in Türkiye, signalled “strong interest“ in joint ventures, technology transfer, and the establishment of manufacturing facilities in Pakistan.

The delegation, comprising senior professionals representing Türkiye’s aviation, aircraft manufacturing, aerospace engineering, drone technology, defence systems, automotive engineering, and advanced materials sectors, called on Federal Minister for Commerce, Jam Kamal Khan, in Islamabad on Thursday, read an official statement.

Combat drones: Turkiye plans assembly facility in Pakistan

The Turkish side briefed Jam Kamal on Türkiye’s rapidly advancing aviation and defence industries.

They also noted existing international collaborations and expressed willingness to expand such partnerships through Pakistan.

Jam Kamal welcomed the delegation and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to deepening industrial and economic ties with Türkiye.

He highlighted the long-standing goodwill between the two nations and emphasised the significant potential for cooperation in aerospace, defence production, minerals development, and dual-use manufacturing, supported by Pakistan’s engineering base and rich critical mineral resources.

The minister encouraged Turkish companies to view Pakistan as a strategic production and export partner for regional and global markets, including ASEAN, Africa, the Gulf, and South Asia.

He underscored the value of exploring trilateral and multilateral partnerships, leveraging the strengths of both countries.

He also briefed the delegation on Pakistan’s ongoing initiatives, such as the development of an expanded new Expo Centre in Karachi and increased coordination between the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Defence Production, and national technology institutions.

The Turkish delegation appreciated Pakistan’s strategic vision and expressed readiness to pursue long-term cooperation across aviation, defence manufacturing, engineering, and advanced materials.

They also showed interest in strengthening banking and trade facilitation mechanisms to support future collaboration.

The meeting concluded with both sides agreeing to advance sector-specific engagements, support B2B linkages, and explore investment-led industrial partnerships to boost bilateral trade and technological cooperation.

The development comes at a time of continued regional unease — tensions with India have lingered following a four-day clash in May.

Islamabad’s relations with Kabul are also at a low level amid the Afghan Taliban’s refusal to prevent anti-Pakistan groups from carrying out their activities from Afghan soil.