Greece (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – In a recent meeting held in Istanbul, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed their nations’ commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation, with particular focus on defense, energy, and transportation. The encounter underscored a long-standing alliance rooted in shared religious identity and historical ties, as well as a growing alignment in regional geopolitics. Notably, Ankara has consistently expressed support for Islamabad during its periodic tensions with India.
Over the years, this relationship has taken on new dimensions—most visibly in commerce and investment. Between 2015 and 2020, 17 Turkish companies established operations in Pakistan, while a notable 233 Pakistani-owned firms began doing business in Turkey. The economic exchange between the two countries has grown steadily, with trade volume increasing from around $600 million to $800 million over the past five years. This represents an annualized growth rate of 11.4%—a figure that speaks to the resilience and mutual benefits of this cross-continental partnership.
More recently, Pakistan’s exports to Turkey rose to $29.7 million in February 2025, an 8.14% increase compared to the same period last year. The data reflects not only deepening economic ties but also a concerted effort by both nations to expand their influence through strategic trade, shared infrastructure, and joint industrial initiatives.
Turkish defense technology
Earlier this month, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan publicly reaffirmed his country’s solidarity with Pakistan following a sharp escalation of hostilities between Islamabad and New Delhi. The flare-up—triggered by a deadly assault in Indian-administered Kashmir claimed by Islamist militants—led to Indian airstrikes and marked the most serious confrontation between the two nuclear-armed rivals in over two decades.
Against this backdrop of regional volatility, Turkey and Pakistan have continued to forge a robust and expanding defense partnership. As Ankara emerges as a growing force in the global arms industry, Islamabad has positioned itself as one of its closest strategic collaborators.
A notable milestone in this alliance came in October 2018, when the Pakistan Navy commissioned a 17,000-ton fleet tanker—constructed in partnership with a Turkish defense firm—at the port of Karachi. The move signalled not only Pakistan’s intent to modernize its maritime capabilities, but also Turkey’s increasing footprint in South Asia’s defense sector.
Perhaps more significantly, the two countries have also advanced cooperation in aerospace and rotary-wing aviation. In July 2018, they finalized a landmark agreement for the sale of 30 Turkish-made T-129 ATAK helicopters, a sophisticated platform designed for attack and reconnaissance missions. The deal, however, hinges on Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) securing an export license from U.S. authorities, due to the aircraft’s American components.
Undeterred, Turkey is now investing in greater self-reliance. TAI, through its engine subsidiary TUSAŞ Engine Industries (TEI), is currently developing the country’s first domestically produced helicopter engine—an effort that reflects both Ankara’s ambitions for technological independence and the strategic depth of its defense ties with Islamabad.
Enhancing Military Cooperation
For more than two decades, Turkey and Pakistan have cultivated a defense relationship that has quietly matured into a strategic alliance. Rooted in shared history, religious affinity, and political alignment, this partnership has grown to encompass not just arms sales, but long-term cooperation in defense technology, intelligence, and military training.
Unlike Turkey’s traditionally cautious and measured approach to foreign affairs, its posture toward Pakistan is notably assertive and unreserved. High-level meetings between the two countries almost invariably conclude with the signing of multimillion-dollar defense agreements, underscoring a rare level of mutual trust. During their latest meeting in Istanbul, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing cooperation in defense, education, intelligence, and counterterrorism—terms they define on their own terms, not always in line with the broader international community.
Institutionalized through the High-Level Military Dialogue Group since 2015, the partnership spans naval construction, aerospace development, and advanced weaponry. Turkish-made drones, helicopters, and naval vessels have become increasingly prominent in Pakistan’s military inventory, while Turkish firms assist with the maintenance and modernization of Pakistan’s aging Western-supplied arsenal.
This collaboration has grown even more critical as Pakistan’s relationships with Western defense providers have weakened. Turkey has filled that gap—not merely as a vendor, but as a strategic partner. Alongside China, it now plays a vital role in sustaining Pakistan’s defense infrastructure.
In military circles in Islamabad, the relationship with Ankara is often described as “unique”—a distinction rarely bestowed. In a region shaped by shifting alliances and strategic uncertainty, the Turkey-Pakistan axis offers a rare example of enduring trust and steadily expanding cooperation, with implications that extend well beyond bilateral ties.
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