Turkiye | Pakistan

Turkiye has decided to bar Israeli vessels from using its ports, forbid Turkish ships from using Israeli ports and impose restrictions on planes entering Turkish airspace, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Friday. He provided few details in comments to parliament, which appeared to summarise steps that Turkiye has already taken against Israel over the conflict in Gaza or has started to implement. Turkiye on Friday fiercely criticised Israel’s offensive in Gaza and accused it of committing genocide in the Palestinian enclave and halted all trade with Tel Aviv, called for international measures against it and urged world powers to stop their support. Sources told Reuters last week that Turkish port authorities had also started informally requiring shipping agents to provide letters declaring that vessels are not linked to Israel and not carrying military or hazardous cargo bound for the country. A source had also said that Turkish-flagged ships would be prohibited from calling at Israeli ports. “We have tota...

ISLAMABAD - Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkiye and Kuwait on Saturday expressed deep sorrow over loss of lives caused by devastating floods in Pakistan.

A 6.1-magnitude quake struck Sindirgi in western Turkiye on Sunday, the Turkish disaster management agency (AFAD) said. The quake was felt across several cities in the west of the country, including Istanbul and the tourist hotspot of Izmir, said officials, who are yet to comment on any potential damages or deaths. Several buildings collapsed in the Balikesir province after the quake, according to images broadcast by Turkish media. The quake hit at 7:53 pm (9:53pm PKT), with a 4.6-magnitude aftershock following several minutes later, according to AFAD. The quake was also registered by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), which recorded the quake and the aftershock at a depth of 10 kilometres. An interactive map shows the location of the earthquake and an aftershock in Turkiye. — United States Geological Survey “All AFAD teams and the relevant institutions have immediately begun searches on the ground. No undesirable event has been flagged up till now,” Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on X. Turkey ...

ISLAMABAD - Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Nav­eed Ashraf, undertook an official vis­it to Turkiye, during which he was conferred the prestigious Legion of Merit award by the Turkish Armed Forces.

Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral Naveed Ashraf was conferred Turkiye’s highest military award — titled Legion of Merit of the Turkish Armed Forces — for his efforts towards “defence and maritime cooperation” between the two nations, the Pakistan Navy said on Tuesday. Pakistani armed forces routinely conduct joint military exercises with other nations to increase combat readiness and identify problems in logistics, training, and current military doctrine. Pakistan Navy, in its statement, said the commander of Turkish Navy, Admiral Ercument Tatlioglu, “presented [the] award to Adm Naveed Ashraf in recognition of his efforts to strengthen defence & maritime coop b/w the two countries”. The award ceremony was held at the headquarters of the Turkish Naval Forces, where he was also given a guard of honour. Pakistan’s naval chief called upon Turkiye’s Defence Minister Yasar Guler, Chief of General Staff Metin Gurak, and the Commander of the Turkish Navy Fleet, Admiral Kadir Yildiz. The two sides discussed coll...

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan and Turkiye yesterday reaffirmed their strong and united stance on the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, as the humanitarian crisis in the besieged Palestinian territory continues to escalate.

Pakistan and Turkiye on Monday reaffirmed their shared commitment to an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, unimpeded humanitarian assistance, and coordinated global efforts for a just and lasting peace in the region.

Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan on Tuesday reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering solidarity with Turkiye, praising the Turkish people’s courage and resilience during the failed coup attempt of July 15, 2016 – a defining moment he described as a “beacon of democratic will and national.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan and Turkiye yesterday reiterated their shared commitment to enhancing bilateral cooperation across a broad spectrum of sectors, including defence, trade, energy, education, infrastructure, and culture.

ISLAMABAD - A high-level delegation led by Minister of Defence of the Republic of Turkiye Mr Yasar Güler called on Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force (PAF) during here Wednesday a Air Headquarters.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday said Pakistan and Turkiye were pursuing the establishment of a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) for Turkish entrepreneurs in Karachi. The announcement came after Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan arrived in Islamabad earlier today on an official visit. Turkiye’s Minister of National Defence Yasar Guler is also visiting Pakistan. Pakistan and Turkiye enjoy strong bilateral ties built on shared cultural, religious and historical bonds, as well as mutual respect. In February, the two countries pledged to boost bilateral trade to $5 billion as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Islamabad. “We are pursuing the establishment of a Special Economic Zone dedicated to Turkish entrepreneurs at Karachi,” Dar said, addressing a press conference alongside Fidan at the Foreign Office (FO). Dar also mentioned other engagements, including the revival of the Istanbul-Tehran-Islamabad train, saying, “Our delegations are meeting in the coming weeks to finalise t...

Turkiye said on Monday that three more of its soldiers had died after being exposed to methane gas during a search operation in caves in northern Iraq, bringing the total toll to eight. The incident comes at a sensitive time with Turkiye in talks to end the conflict with the Kurds after the PKK militant group agreed to end its decades-long armed struggle. The conflict, which began in 1984, has cost more than 40,000 lives. The deaths occurred as the Turkish troops were searching for the remains of a soldier who was shot dead by Kurdish fighters in the area in May 2022 and whose body was never recovered, Turkiye’s defence ministry said. “Three other of our heroic comrades in arms, affected by methane gas, have died, bringing the total number of victims to eight,” the ministry said on X on Monday. It did not explain the origin of the methane gas in the caves. “During a search operation in a cave… previously known to have been used as a hospital… 19 of our personnel were exposed to methane gas,” the ministry said...

Turkiye arrested three more opposition mayors early on Saturday as part of an investigation into alleged graft, officials from the main opposition, the Republican People’s Party (CHP) said, denouncing it as a “political operation”. The early morning arrests were the latest move targeting elected officials of the CHP as the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan puts increasing pressure on the party, which won a huge victory against his Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the 2024 local elections and is rising in the polls. The arrests were linked to an investigation into alleged graft which resulted in the removal in March of Istanbul’s powerful opposition mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, whose jailing sparked mass protests in Turkiye’s worst street unrest since 2013. Imamoglu is Erdogan’s biggest political rival and the CHP’s candidate for the 2028 presidential race. Earlier this week, police arrested more than 120 people as part of a probe into alleged graft in the opposition stronghold of Izmir, Turkiye’s t...

Firefighters battled wildfires in Turkiye and France on Monday, and more than 50,000 people were evacuated as an early summer heatwave hit Europe. Health alerts were issued in France, Spain, Italy, Portugal and Germany. Even the Netherlands, used to a milder climate, issued a warning for high temperatures in the coming days, coupled with high humidity. “Large parts of Western Europe are experiencing extreme heat and heatwave conditions that are normally observed in July or August, rather than June,” said Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. Temperatures were in some locations 5-10 degrees Celsius warmer than they otherwise should have been at this time of the year, she said. In Turkiye, wildfires raged for a second day in the western province of Izmir, fanned by strong winds, Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said. More than 50,000 people have been evacuated from five regions, including more than 42,000 in Izmir, Turkiye’s AFAD emergency management author...

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar called on President of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul on Saturday during his visit to attend the 51st session of OIC CFM and discussed matters of bilateral and regional interest. He was accompanied by Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir. During the meeting, the FM Dar underscored the profound importance that Pakistan accords to its enduring bilateral relations with Turkiye. Both the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to further deepen and diversify the longstanding brotherly cooperation between the two countries. The leaders expressed strong condemnation of the continued Israeli attacks in blatant violation of fundamental principles of international law, reiterated support for Iran’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and its right to self-defense under the UN Charter, agreed to continue diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the situation, and urged the international community to play its part in restoring peace and stability...

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan and Turkiye on Satur­day reaffirmed their commit­ment to further deepen and diversify the longstanding broth­erly cooperation between the two countries.

ISLAMABAD - Upon the invitation of Foreign Minister of Turkiye, Hakan Fidan, Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar attended the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum’s (ICYF), Grand Youth Award Ceremony held in Istanbul on Friday.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday conveyed his wishes to implement key decisions to boost bilateral ties with Pakistan, particularly in the field of trade, state broadcater PTV News reported. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Turkiye for two days last month and expressed gratitude to Erdogan for Turkiye’s support during a brief military confrontation with India. According to PTV News, a delegation-level meeting between the two nations was “warm and most cordial” and both nations “reaffirmed the deep-rooted, historic, and brotherly ties between Pakistan and Türkiye, anchored in shared values, mutual respect, and a common vision for progress and prosperity”. PTV News reported that the Turkish president made his remarks during a phone call with PM Shehbaz, where both leaders exchanged Eidul Azha greetings. “While recalling their recent meetings in Istanbul and Lachin, the prime minister thanked President Erdogan once again for Turkiye’s strong and unwavering support to Pakistan during the rece...

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Monday departed for Iran after concluding his two-day official visit to Turkiye.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Istanbul, on a two-day visit to Turkiye.