Pakistan Türkiye two nations one soul: PM Shehbaz Visits Turkiye I
Dr. Syed Mehboob
Economic and Political Analyst
http//: www.thenewslark.com
When it comes to the word Türkiye” on our lips, an ocean of love, closeness, and warmth emerges immediately. This name’s fragrance is felt in our soul. Friendship between Pakistan and Türkiye cannot be described in words but can be felt when we meet our Turkish brothers and sisters. A famous English romantic poet once said:
A Thing of beauty is a joy for ever
Its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness
It is true for Turkish beauty of hospitality, warmth, friendship. This is the reason that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Türkiye for the sixth time. In July 2026, it was his sixth visit. Before this visit, he visited in April 2026 for a two-day official visit; before that, he visited Türkiye in May 2025, in November 2022, and in May/June 2022.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Istanbul on Friday, 3rd July 2026, on an official visit to brother country Türkiye at the invitation of President Tayyip Erdogan. Whenever PM Shehbaz visits Türkiye, he feels he is in his own home. He was warmly welcomed at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport by Turkish Minister of Trade Professor Dr Omer Bolat, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Türkiye Dr Yusaf Junaid, and officials from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Pakistan Embassy. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar and Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar were also accompanied by him. Political and Economic analysts are giving much importance to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit, where he held detailed meetings and discussions on all aspects of bilateral relations, with a particular focus on enhancing cooperation in trade and investment. They also exchanged their views on regional peace and security. He also addressed a Pakistan-hosted business conference aimed at highlighting investment opportunities in sectors including Special Economic Zones ( SEZs), energy, information technology, and privatization. The conference was attended by prominent Turkish business leaders, investors, senior government officials and other distinguished guests.
It is interesting to mention that before the visit of PM Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan and Türkiye signed three Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) aimed at enhancing institutional collaboration, technical cooperation and knowledge sharing in the power sector. These MoUs were signed between Pakistani and Turkish energy sector entities: Independent System and Market Operator (ISMO) and Energy Exchange Istanbul ( EPIAS), ISMO and Turkish Electricity Transmission Corporation (TEIAS), and the Power Planning and Monitoring Company ( PPMC) and the Turkish Electricity Distribution Corporation ( TEDAS).
Prime Minister’s visit will pave the way for greater trade, stronger investment, deeper strategic cooperation.
Prime Minister described Türkiye’s success as Pakistan’s own success. He pledged to further strengthen the “ Unique Partnership” between the two brother countries. “Türkiye’s success is Pakistan’s success. Pakistan’s progress is Türkiye’s progress,” It was told by PM Shehbaz Sharif at a joint news conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul after talks at the Vahdettin Palace. PM Shehbaz Sharif thanked Erdogan for his “warm welcome and gracious hospitality,” saying it was “always a pleasure to visit the magnificent city of Istanbul on the shores of the Bosphorus where history meets modernity and rich cultures of both East and West thrive side by side.” Citing Turkish poet and thinker Yunus Emre’s verse, “A heart makes a good home for the friend,” PM Shehbaz Sharif said: “No words could better describe the relationship between our two nations.”
“Pakistan has always found a home in the hearts of the people of Türkiye just as Türkiye lives in the hearts of every Pakistani,” he said. He further said the friendship between the two nations was forged through “centuries of shared history, common faith, mutual sacrifice and an enduring sense of brotherhood.”
PM Shehbaz Sharif recalled that Türkiye has always stood by Pakistan in difficult times, including wars, earthquakes and floods, and pointed to Erdogan’s visit to flood-hit areas of Pakistan in 2010 as well as first lady Emine Erdogan’s support for flood victims. “This is why we proudly say Pakistan and Türkiye are two hearts of one soul,” he said.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif further said he and Erdogan held “very comprehensive and productive discussions,” expressing satisfaction over growing momentum in trade, investment and industrial cooperation. He said the two leaders reviewed concrete steps to unlock the full potential of economic cooperation, adding that the goodwill between the countries offered “a unique and ideal opportunity” to achieve their mutually agreed target of $5 billion in bilateral trade. PM Sharif said Pakistan would continue to stand firmly with Türkiye on the issue of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
He also expressed Pakistan’s appreciation for Türkiye’s “principled and unwavering support” for the people of Jammu and Kashmir and “their legitimate right to self-determination.” PM Shehbaz Sharif said he and Erdogan reaffirmed their shared belief that “dialogue, diplomacy and mutual respect remain the only sustainable path to resolving disputes and preserving international peace and security.”
He thanked Türkiye for its “strong and steadfast support” for Pakistan’s peace efforts in the region, saying they culminated in the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum.
“The decisions we have taken today will not remain words on paper,” PM Sharif said. “They will translate into greater trade, stronger investment, deeper strategic cooperation and, above all, a better future for our peoples.” He assured Erdogan of Pakistan’s “unwavering commitment” to further strengthen the partnership. Quoting Maulana Jalal Uddin Rumi, PM Shehbaz Sharif said: “The lamps are different, but the light is the same,” adding that the people of Pakistan and Türkiye are guided by “the light of faith, compassion, mutual respect and an unbreakable brotherhood.”
On 4th July 2026, there was the Türkiye-Pakistan Business and Investment Conference where Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz said Türkiye and Pakistan should turn their long-standing brotherly ties into stronger economic cooperation. Speaking at the Türkiye-Pakistan Business and Investment Forum in Istanbul alongside Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Yilmaz said the friendship between the two countries has always been built on “strong emotional bonds.” “Now we must make this friendship equally strong in trade, investment, technology and production,” he said.
Yilmaz said the two countries aim to raise bilateral trade volume to $5 billion, a target agreed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. He noted that current trade, at around $1.2 billion last year, remains below potential, and that the $5 billion target should be seen as “modest” and raised further. Yilmaz said Turkish direct investments in Pakistan have exceeded $2 billion, while Turkish contractors have completed 74 projects worth about $3.5 billion in the country.
He said Ankara and Islamabad could further expand cooperation in areas including automotive, agriculture technologies, food processing, medical devices, renewable energy, information technologies, e-commerce, defense industry, shipbuilding, tourism, and film and television production.
Yilmaz also welcomed a to allocate a special zone for Turkish investors inside the Karachi Industrial Park, saying it could add a “new strategic dimension” to the economic partnership.
Prime Minister Sehbaz Sharif, for his part, said Türkiye is onesoul of Pakistan’s “most loyal allies” and praised Ankara’s support for Pakistan. ( Continued)
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