Latest news with #YasarGuler
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Turkey and Pakistan discuss defence industry and energy cooperation
ANKARA (Reuters) -Turkey's foreign and defence ministers discussed cooperation in defence and energy with officials in Pakistan during a visit to Islamabad on Wednesday, Ankara said. Turkey and Pakistan have strong ties and Ankara expressed solidarity with Pakistan during the military conflict with India in May, angering India. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Defence Minister Yasar Guler met Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan Air Force chief Air Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu, and others during the visit. In a statement after the talks, Turkey's defence ministry said Guler and Sidhu discussed regional defence and security, as well as areas of cooperation in the defence industry, and added Sidhu had conveyed Pakistan's desire to improve ties in advanced training operations and aviation technologies. Guler also stressed the importance of joint projects in the defence industry, including on aviation and drones, it added. Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, Fidan said the two countries were evaluating the possibility of cooperating in mining, natural gas, oil, and rare elements, after agreeing in April to jointly carry out oil and gas exploration off Pakistan. Ankara also has cordial ties with India, but after its support for Pakistan over the conflict, small Indian grocery shops and major online fashion retailers boycotted Turkish products, while New Delhi also cancelled Turkey-based aviation service provider Celebi's clearance over "national security" reasons.
Express Tribune
5 hours ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
Pakistan, Turkiye weigh aerospace partnership
Pakistan and Turkiye sought to deepen their defence cooperation amid regional instability as the two sides, in the level talks here on Wednesday, vowed to increase the bilateral trade to $5 billion. Turkish Foreign Minister Fida Hakan and Defence Minister Yasar Guler, who arrived in Islamabad in Tuesday night, held a series of meetings with Pakistani civil and military leaders. Turkiye has emerged a strong supporter of Pakistan in the wake of recent conflict with India. The presence of Turkish foreign and defence ministers in Islamabad highlighted the deepening cooperation and increased high-level exchanges between the two countries. While Foreign Minister Hakan, who was also joined by the Defence Minister Guler, held formal talks with Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar at the Foreign Ministry, they met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the Prime Minister's Office, where Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, National Security Adviser and Direcotr General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt General Asim Malik and other senior officials were also present. The presence of top civil and military leadership of Pakistan highlighted the importance of close ties with Turkey. Welcoming the Turkish delegation, according to an official handout, the prime minister underscored the longstanding fraternal ties between Pakistan and Turkiye, saying that there relations remain deeply rooted in shared history, culture, and mutual respect. He expressed satisfaction over the positive trajectory of bilateral relations and reaffirmed Pakistan's unwavering commitment to further strengthening cooperation with Turkiye in diverse fields, including trade, investment, technology, and defence. Recalling his interactions with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during the year, including the most recent meeting between the two leaders on the margins of the 17th ECO Summit, Shehbaz reaffirmed Pakistan's firm resolve to transform Pak-Turkiye ties into a strategic partnership in the days to come. Welcoming the convening of the joint commission meeting, co-chaired by Dar and Fidan, the prime minister expressed the hope that the bilateral relations between the two countries would attain further momentum, leading to bolstering of cooperation in multifaceted areas. While reiterating the commitment of the both countries to continue their strong and unwavering support for each other's core interests, the prime minister emphasised the need for closer coordination between the two sides amidst the fast evolving regional and global environment, particularly in the context of Gaza and Iran. He once again expressed his deepest gratitude to the Turkish nation and leadership for their steadfast support to Pakistan during the recent Indian aggression. The prime minister stressed the need for concerted efforts by both sides to enhance the bilateral trade to the mutually agreed target of $5 billion. Highlighting Pakistan's investor-friendly policies, he invited Turkish companies to expand their investment footprint in Pakistan and invited Turkish side to share its expertise to assist in Pakistan's structural reforms, economic growth and development efforts. Meanwhile, at a joint press conference with Foreign Minister Dar, Fidan underlined the ongoing efforts to boost the bilateral trade volume to $5 billion. He noted that both countries were evaluating cooperation mechanisms in sectors such as mining, natural gas, oil, and rare earth elements. "In this context, the agreement signed in April between Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) and Pakistan's national oil companies represents a highly significant step forward," Fidan said. "This is one of the outcomes of the more institutionalised approach we are working to establish," he added. Dar said that Islamabad and Ankara have agreed to bolster cooperation in a string of areas, including economy, defence industry, energy and infrastructure. Lauding the Turkish defence industry, Dar said that Islamabad wishes to further strengthen its ongoing strategic and defence industries cooperation and promotion of peace and stability in the region. The two sides are "actively" engaged in different activities, including capacity building in counterterrorism, said Dar. Turkish companies will also be participating in the privatisation of distribution companies in the power sector, he added. The two sides, Dar continued, were pursuing the establishment of a special economic zone dedicated to Turkish entrepreneurs in Karachi and Istanbul. "We are actively following up on benefiting from Turkish experience and expertise in shipbreaking and storage and efficient use of agricultural water," Dar said. He said Islamabad and Ankara agreed to revive the long-dormant joint ministerial commission after a hiatus of 11 years, which will be co-chaired by Pakistan's Commerce Minister Jam Kamal and Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler. "All this work will lay a solid foundation for the eighth high-level Strategic Cooperation Council," which will be held next year in Turkiye, he added. In a separate engagement, Turkish Defence Minister Guler met with Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu at the Air Headquarters to assess the state of bilateral defence cooperation and discuss emerging regional threats. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), both sides agreed to set up joint working groups to deepen collaboration in aerospace technologies, advanced training, and new domains of warfare. Guler praised the operational readiness of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), particularly during its recent conflict with India, and expressed interest in expanding industry-to-industry partnerships. He also emphasised the importance of joint ventures in disruptive technologies, including unmanned aerial systems, advanced avionics and pilot exchange programs. Both sides pledged to enhance joint air exercises and finalise plans for more intensive training cooperation. The ISPR said that the meeting reflected the "shared commitment of both the brotherly nations to enhance strategic cooperation, solidify defence ties and promote lasting institutional linkages between the Armed Forces of Pakistan and Turkiye".
Express Tribune
13 hours ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
PM Shehbaz invites Turkish companies to invest in Pakistan
Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkiye, Hakan Fidan and Minister for National Defence of the Republic of Turkiye Yasar Guler calls on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on July 9. Photo: Listen to article Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif invited Turkish companies to increase their investment footprint in Pakistan and share their expertise in the country's structural reforms, economic growth, and development. He made the remarks in a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Defence Minister Yasar Güler, who called on him in Islamabad on Wednesday. In an official release, the PM stressed the need for concerted efforts from both countries to enhance bilateral trade, aiming to reach the mutually agreed target of $5 billion. He reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to further strengthening cooperation with Turkey in key sectors, including trade, investment, technology, and defence. Sharif also emphasised the longstanding fraternal ties between Pakistan and Turkiye, which are deeply rooted in shared history, culture, and mutual respect. He expressed satisfaction over the positive trajectory of bilateral relations, highlighting that both nations have made significant progress in recent years. Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkiye, Hakan Fidan and Minister for National Defence of the Republic of Turkiye Yasar Guler calls on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif — Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) July 9, 2025 Recalling his interactions with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the PM reaffirmed Pakistan's resolve to transform Pak-Turkiye relations into a strategic partnership in the near future. Sharif welcomed the upcoming meeting of the joint commission, co-chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Turkish FM Fidan, expressing hope that the meeting would further accelerate bilateral relations and foster cooperation in various areas. While reiterating the strong support both countries continue to offer each other, the PM highlighted the need for closer coordination, particularly in light of the fast-evolving regional and global situation, with special focus on the ongoing crises in Gaza and Iran. In closing, he once again expressed his deepest gratitude to the Turkish nation and leadership for their steadfast support to Pakistan, particularly during the recent tensions with India. Also Read: Pakistan, Turkiye aim for $5b trade volume to deepen bilateral relations Earlier, during a joint press conference, Dar and Fidan reaffirmed their commitment to deepen bilateral cooperation across key sectors, including defence, trade, energy, culture, education, and infrastructure, with both countries aiming to boost bilateral trade to $5 billion. During the press conference, both officials expressed satisfaction with the ongoing progress of 12 joint standing committees under the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC). Dar highlighted that, following the February session of the HLSCC, a joint commission would soon be established to monitor the progress of these committees.
Al Arabiya
15 hours ago
- Business
- Al Arabiya
Turkey and Pakistan discuss defense industry and energy cooperation
Turkey's foreign and defense ministers discussed cooperation in defense and energy with officials in Pakistan during a visit to Islamabad on Wednesday, Ankara said. Turkey and Pakistan have strong ties and Ankara expressed solidarity with Pakistan during the military conflict with India in May, angering India. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Defense Minister Yasar Guler met Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan Air Force chief Air Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu, and others during the visit. In a statement after the talks, Turkey's defense ministry said Guler and Sidhu discussed regional defense and security, as well as areas of cooperation in the defense industry, and added Sidhu had conveyed Pakistan's desire to improve ties in advanced training operations and aviation technologies. Guler also stressed the importance of joint projects in the defense industry, including on aviation and drones, it added. Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, Fidan said the two countries were evaluating the possibility of cooperating in mining, natural gas, oil, and rare elements, after agreeing in April to jointly carry out oil and gas exploration off Pakistan. Ankara also has cordial ties with India, but after its support for Pakistan over the conflict, small Indian grocery shops and major online fashion retailers boycotted Turkish products, while New Delhi also cancelled Turkey-based aviation service provider Celebi's clearance over 'national security' reasons.
Rudaw Net
2 days ago
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
President Barzani sends condolences to Turkey over soldiers' deaths
Also in Kurdistan Tribal loyalists clash with Kurdish security forces over land dispute in Erbil Kurdish smuggler leads Raparin youth migration via Libya-Italy route PKK changes disarmament plan over security reasons PKK disarmament ceremony set for Friday in Sulaimani: DEM Party A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Tuesday extended his condolences to Turkey following the deaths of 12 Turkish soldiers who succumbed to methane gas exposure in the northern Duhok province, according to a statement from the Region's presidency. In a letter addressed to Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler, President Barzani expressed "his heartfelt condolences to Türkiye and to the families of the soldiers who tragically lost their lives, as well as to those who were injured in an incident that occurred on Sunday in a cave within the mountainous areas of the Kurdistan Region." The Kurdistan Region President also wished a swift recovery to the injured and emphasized the importance of continued cooperation between both sides "to foster peace and uphold security and stability in the region." On Monday, Turkey's Defense Ministry announced that 12 soldiers had died after exposure to methane gas inside a cave in Duhok. The troops were reportedly attempting to retrieve the body of a Turkish lieutenant who was killed in 2022 during Operation Claw-Lock - a military campaign by Ankara targeting the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The PKK has been engaged in a decades-long conflict with the Turkish state that has claimed over 40,000 lives - mainly PKK fighters. In recent months, Turkey's main pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) has stepped up efforts to mediate a resolution. On Sunday, the party expressed its condolences over the soldiers' deaths, lamenting that "the entire society is paying the price for the long-standing conflict and unresolved issues." That same day, DEM Party officials held a meeting with jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan. According to the party, Ocalan expressed being 'deeply concerned' by the incident that claimed the soldiers' lives. Founded in 1978, the PKK originally pursued an independent Kurdish state, but later shifted its demands toward greater political and cultural rights for Kurds in Turkey. The group is designated a terrorist organization by Turkey and several of its Western allies.
