Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Ankara on Tuesday for a two-day official visit, aiming to deepen economic ties and secure investment from Turkey’s leadership. He landed at Esenboğa Airport, where he was greeted by high-ranking Turkish officials and members of the Pakistani diplomatic mission.
The visit comes as Islamabad looks to pivot its struggling economy toward export-led growth and foreign direct investment. Ankara remains a key strategic partner, yet bilateral trade volume has struggled to break past the $1 billion mark in recent years — a point of contention for both governments.
Shehbaz is scheduled to hold one-on-one talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the Presidential Complex. The agenda focuses on the “High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council,” a framework designed to streamline defense procurement, energy projects, and agricultural technology transfers.
“We are here to move beyond formal handshakes,” a senior aide traveling with the PM said. “The focus is on project-based outcomes, particularly in the energy sector.”
For Turkey, the visit serves as a diplomatic signal of its continued influence in South Asia. For Pakistan, it’s a high-stakes attempt to convince Turkish firms — who have previously invested in Lahore’s public transport and waste management sectors — to expand their footprint into the country’s privatization program.
The two leaders will also address the ongoing regional security situation, including the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the shifting geopolitical landscape in Central Asia. Both nations have maintained a unified stance on these issues, though domestic economic pressures in both countries have arguably limited their ability to project significant influence.
The visit concludes Wednesday. Whether it results in concrete trade agreements or remains another exercise in diplomatic photo-ops depends entirely on the fine print of the energy deals currently on the table.
