Turkiye's Ambassador to Pakistan, Dr Irfan Neziroglu, has said relations between Pakistan and Turkiye are reaching new heights following the Makkah Defence Alliance, while adding that considerable potential for cooperation between the two countries still remains untapped.

The ambassador made the remarks while addressing an international webinar organised by Dost: Pakistan-Turkiye Friendship Forum, held as part of the celebrations marking the 103rd anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Turkiye.

Dr Neziroglu said both countries needed to keep working together under their shared vision so that their close ties could be translated into tangible outcomes. He said the strong bilateral relationship rested not only on institutional cooperation but also on sincere friendship and deep-rooted bonds between the peoples of the two countries.

He also paid tribute to the Dost: Pakistan-Turkiye Friendship Forum for its contributions to the relationship, describing its role as significant and memorable. The forum brings together academics, former diplomats and business figures who work on Pakistan-Turkiye friendship and cooperation.

Addressing the same webinar, Professor Dr Nasir Mahmood, Vice Chancellor of Allama Iqbal Open University, said the global balance of power was undergoing a transformation. He described the defence agreement between the three Muslim nations as an extraordinary turning point in history, and called for academic and educational cooperation among Muslim countries to be strengthened.

Dr Mahmood also urged that defence cooperation be extended into trade and commerce, so that the benefits of the partnership could reach other areas of national life and deliver practical gains for people in the member countries.

Dr Khurshid Ahmad Nadeem, Chairman of Pakistan's National Rahmatul-lil-Alameen Wa Khatam-un-Nabiyyin Authority, told the webinar that the poet-philosopher Allama Iqbal had envisioned a League of Nations for Muslim countries. He said the Makkah Defence Alliance represented an important step forward towards that goal.

Dr Nadeem added that the balance established in Turkish democracy between the state and the religious beliefs of the people offered a model worthy of emulation, not only for Pakistan but for the entire Muslim world.

Other speakers at the seminar included former Turkish Consul General in Karachi Dr Cemal Sangu, intellectual Dr Saadat Saeed, Dost Forum President Dr Farooq Adil, Vice President Professor Dr Khalil Touqaar, Secretary General Dr Zahid Majeed, Dr Muhammad Kamran, Professor Dr Sadaf Naqvi and Ahmet Khan, Pakistan's Honorary Business Consul in Turkiye.

The Makkah Defence Alliance is a joint defence agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, signed in August. Under the pact, the three countries have committed to collective defence, and the agreement has since become a central feature of their diplomatic engagement, including joint outreach to Iran in recent weeks.

On the occasion, the Dost Forum announced that it would soon organise an international seminar to mark the 500th anniversary of the Mughal Empire, and that a research-based book would also be published as part of the initiative.