At the behest of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Islamabad on Thursday for a two-day visit to Pakistan. Geo News says he was welcomed upon touch down at the Rawalpindi Nur Khan Airbase by top Pakistani authorities such as Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari.
Erdogan got a 21-gun salute upon his arrival, and Pakistan Air Force jets flew his airplane into the country’s airspace to guarantee protection. A high-ranking delegation from Turkey, among them Turkey’s First Lady Emine Erdogan, came from Indonesia with the Turkish leader.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, welcoming Erdogan, called him a “visionary statesman [who] has transformed Turkey.” He went on to say, “Under his dynamic leadership, the historical, deep-rooted fraternal ties between Pakistan and Turkey have grown from strong to stronger.” Sharif stressed that both countries hope to take their relationship to new heights with Erdogan’s visit.
Erdogan in Pakistan Agenda
According to Pakistani news source Dawn, Erdogan would together chair the 7th Session of the Pakistan-Turkiye High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC), at which several agreements are forecast to be signed. Furthermore, he will meet both Zardari and Sharif face to face.
A declaration from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Pakistan stressed the historical brotherly links between Pakistan and Turkey and their belief that the visit of Erdogan will “help to deepen brotherly connections and boost multi-faceted cooperation between the two countries.” It further stated that the HLSCC would offer “strategic guidance to further strengthening the bilateral relations between the two countries.”
Just hours after the US Embassy released a travel advise concerning a possible threat the Pakistani Taliban might present to the Faisal Mosque in Islamabad, Erdogan’s visit takes place. The advisory instructed US residents to keep off the mosque and its vicinity until more advised.
