Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has urged Turkish investors to turn a long-standing friendship into joint ventures, investment and jobs, telling a reception in Islamabad that Pakistan and Türkiye must now match their strong political bond with a deeper economic partnership.

Mr Sharif was chief guest at the event marking the 103rd anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Türkiye. He described the relationship as “two souls, one heart”, and praised Türkiye under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as an economic powerhouse, a pioneer in defence technology and one of the world's most generous humanitarian donors.

The prime minister pointed to shared history stretching back to the Khilafat Movement, when Muslims in the subcontinent backed Türkiye during its War of Independence. He also recalled Turkish support after Pakistan's 2005 earthquake and 2010 floods.

From goodwill to joint ventures

On the economic agenda, Mr Sharif reminded his audience that he had announced the President Tayyip Erdogan Special Economic Zone in Karachi at a Pakistan–Türkiye business conference in Istanbul in July. He invited Turkish businesses to look closely at Pakistan's young population, its strategic location and its growing opportunities, arguing that goodwill alone was no longer enough.

Reports of the reception put recent bilateral trade at around $1 billion, with cooperation spanning infrastructure, energy and defence production. The Turkish ambassador to Pakistan, Dr Irfan Neziroglu, told the gathering that Pakistan's founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah and poet Allama Muhammad Iqbal had both admired the Turkish struggle, calling the two peoples “brothers by history, united by faith, and bound by shared sacrifices”.

Defence pact and diplomacy

Mr Sharif also highlighted the Makkah Agreement signed on 7 August 2026 by Pakistan, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia, describing it as an important milestone for collective deterrence and regional peace. He said Pakistan would continue to champion dialogue, diplomacy, respect for international law and the peaceful settlement of disputes — a message aimed as much at the wider region as at the room in Islamabad.

Sources: Daily Imroz (reporting Radio Pakistan); EuropeSays / Anadolu.