Islamabad, Sep 25: During their meeting on Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif decided to intensify their cooperation in commerce, investment, security, and defense.
A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office stated that the discussion, which took place in New York on the fringes of the 79th United Nations General Assembly, centered on bilateral relations as well as regional and international concerns.
The impending seventh session of the Pakistan-Türkiye High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC), which would be hosted in Islamabad, was reviewed by the two leaders. International and regional issues were also discussed, with a focus on the ongoing genocide and Gaza’s humanitarian situation. Erdoğan and Sharif both demanded an immediate end to hostilities and a truce in Gaza.
The people of India-held Kashmir are grateful for Turkey’s steadfast support, according to Prime Minister Shehbaz. President Erdoğan commended Prime Minister Sharif for his economic policies during the meeting, highlighting his efforts to stabilize Pakistan’s economy and carry out important reforms. In addition, he wished Shehbaz, who recently turned 73, a happy birthday.
In a separate statement, the PM commended President Erdoğan for his powerful address at the 79th UN General Assembly, in which he denounced Israel’s military activities in Gaza and chastised the West for backing Israel. He said, “Everyone in the Assembly hall who was listening to the Turkish president touched their hearts with the way he brought attention to the issue.”
In his speech, Erdoğan stressed how the conflict is undermining the principles of the West and the UN and called for a “alliance of humanity” to end the slaughter in Gaza. The leader of Turkey voiced harsh criticism of both Israel and the Western nations for their support of Israel’s military campaign in the Gaza Strip.
“The UN system is dying, the truth is dying, the values that the West claims to defend are dying, and the hopes of humanity to live in a fairer world are dying one by one, along with the children in Gaza,” Erdoğan continued.
President Erdoğan is anticipated to visit Pakistan shortly, according to Sharif, who reaffirmed the close fraternal ties between Pakistan and Turkey. The prime minister gave an update on Pakistan’s deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in response to a query, saying that it is nearing final clearance.
He acknowledged that Pakistan had agreed to the difficult terms set by the IMF and thanked China, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates for their crucial assistance in completing the agreement.