Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara on Wednesday to discuss a wide range of issues, including the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) conflict, the Northern Cyprus dispute, and the Afghan crisis. Both leaders also agreed to take steps to improve bilateral ties, especially in the economic field.
The following is a brief summary of the major talking points:
Kashmir
Erdoğan called for a swift resolution of the Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan. He said that ending the conflict is a “matter of critical importance in terms of regional peace and stability” and stressed any resolution of the issue should be in line “with the legitimate expectations of our brothers and sisters in Kashmir and within the framework of the UN resolutions.”
On the 75th anniversary of our diplomatic ties, we hosted my beloved brother Shehbaz Sharif, Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) June 1, 2022
We are prepared to further develop Türkiye-Pakistan relations in light of the two nations' shared history, friendship, and potential. pic.twitter.com/ARufdll9A0
While Erdoğan did not directly refer to India, he has in the past criticised New Delhi’s position on Kashmir. In 2019, he criticised India for revoking the autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir and its subsequent clampdown of the region. Last year, he once again raised the issue of Kashmir at the United Nations General Assembly in New York and called on India to adhere to UN resolutions on the issue.
PM Sharif thanked Erdoğan for Turkey’s “steadfast support” over Kashmir and said his stance is a “source of strength” for Pakistanis and the people of Kashmir. Sharif said that Ankara’s support was crucial to bringing the plight of the Kashmiris and “Indian atrocities” to international attention.
Also Read: Pakistan Hails Turkey’s Stance on Kashmir, Calls on India to Restore Article 370
Sharif declared that Pakistan “would not abandon its quest for peace,” adding that he is convinced that the Kashmir dispute can only be resolved under UN Security Council resolutions and “in line with the wishes of the Kashmiri people.”
We are expanding our collaboration in tourism, education, logistics, civil aviation, communication, and information technology.
— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) June 1, 2022
We will continue to work to strengthen further Türkiye-Pakistan relations, which have deep historical roots of friendship and brotherhood. 🇹🇷🇵🇰 pic.twitter.com/TTJt3kQ9MC
On Tuesday, Sharif told Turkish news agency Anadolu Agency that India’s decision to revoke Article 370 of its constitution deprived Kashmiris of the fundamental rights. He called on New Delhi to restore the Article, which gave Kashmiris “special status,” if it wants to normalise ties with Islamabad.
Afghanistan
Erdoğan said Turkey is ready to increase cooperation with Pakistan regarding Afghanistan in order to achieve “lasting stability in Afghanistan.” He added that joint cooperation is important for “averting such threats as terrorist acts and new irregular migration waves in the region.”
Pakistan Başbakanı Şahbaz Şerif’i Resmî Karşılama Törenihttps://t.co/d741V8imhM
— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) June 1, 2022
“We exert joint efforts to help the Afghan people and overcome the repercussions of the humanitarian crisis in the country,” Erdoğan said, adding that Turkey has already “sent four benevolence trains carrying over four tonnes of humanitarian aid material” to Afghanistan.
Similarly, Sharif said both countries have worked for decades “for their shared goals of a peaceful and stable Afghanistan” and had the experience of hosting the most number of refugees in the world, referring to millions of Syrian refugees in Turkey and Afghan refugees in Pakistan.
The issues of Northern Cyprus and the Kurdish militancy
Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for Turkey over the Northern Cyprus dispute with Greece and the Republic of Cyprus. Sharif also said that Pakistan stands with Turkey in its fight against Kurdish “terrorists” like the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). “Enemies of Turkey are the enemies of Pakistan,” Sharif stressed.
Just concluded most cordial and highly productive talks with my brother President Erdogan. We have renewed commitment to inject greater substance to our existing strategic ties to the benefit of peoples of our two countries; Looking forward to hosting 7th session of HLSCC. 🇵🇰 🇹🇷
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) June 1, 2022
The Turkey-Cyprus dispute began in 1974 when Turkey invaded the island nation following an attempted coup by Greece. The invasion led to the division of the country into the internationally recognised Republic of Cyprus in the south and the Turkish controlled North.
Economy
The Turkish President stated that bilateral trade “had been boosted despite the pandemic” and trade volume had reached $1 billion in 2021 for the first time since 2011. Sharif also agreed that economic ties had picked up despite COVID-19 related constraints and stressed that Pakistan would continue to facilitate Turkish companies investing in his country.
Moreover, both sides signed several MoUs in the economic field, including deals on bilateral trade, transport infrastructure, debt management, and urbanisation.
Foreign investment is critical to our efforts to stabilize the economy. In my meeting with leading Turkish investors today, I invited them to invest in the energy & infrastructure sectors. My government will be there to facilitate them proactively.
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) June 1, 2022
The agreements came as both sides face unprecedented economic crises. Pakistan’s foreign reserves have plummeted to just $16 billion and its current account deficit could hit $17.5 billion this year, or around 4.5% of its GDP. Likewise, Turkey’s inflation rate jumped to almost 70% last month, consumer prices have risen by over 14%, and the Turkish Lira has depreciated by almost 50% to the United States Dollar. Keeping this in mind, Sharif and Erdoğan vowed to work closely to minimise the effect of the economic problems.
Strategic
The leaders agreed to establish a High-Level Strategic Cooperation Committee (HLSCC) to discuss strategic ties.
Erdoğan noted that both countries are partnering on defence manufacturing projects. “We are pleased with the tangible cooperation projects recently developed with Pakistan in the area of defence industry,” he said. In this regard, the President announced that Pakistan and Turkey had jointly built a corvette as part of the MILGEM Project, a Turkish programme aimed at building state-of-the-art warships.
The pair also agreed to “enhance cooperation” in the areas of tourism, education, logistics, civil aviation, and communication and information technologies.