Building strong ties

“We have always seen Pakistan’s pain as our pain, its joy as our joy and its success as our success.”

That was the message from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s two-day visit to Türkiye. The trip was consequential in many ways: it saw their defence ties reach new landmarks, and a new pact for boosting trade volume to $5 billion in the next three years stands formalised. “The [MILGEM defence] project represents a significant milestone in the Pakistan- Türkiye strategic partnership that continues to progress on an upward trajectory,” said the Foreign Office in reference to the joint Türkiye-Pakistan defence collaboration venture. Ever-strengthening fraternal ties, rooted in a deep desire to manage economic expectations, make this visit a timely one with plenty to offer for the future.

On trade and economics, there has been some realisation that the total trade volume between both sides does not reflect their optimised strategic partnership. Consider the fact that some $1.5 billion in bilateral trade constitutes only a fraction of Türkiye’s overall $250 billion in annual trade. For this reason, it is a commendable step from Pakistan to ink a formal pact that can drive that volume up to $5 billion over the next three years. Islamabad’s approach to courting investor sentiment has also contributed favourably to relations so far. It is here that the desire to uphold the ‘history, friendship and potential of the two countries’ is a fitting illustration of time-tested diplomacy contributing to that growth as a whole.

Expect bilateral ties to open up to a wider expanse of multi-sector cooperation, including potential interest in renewables and alternate energy sources. These diversified investment opportunities have earned their due recognition during Sharif’s visit, and align closely with the global imperative to limit dependence on oil for a sustainable future. A key enabler of all incoming investment is the elimination of ‘red tape’ in Pakistan, which has been met firmly in resolve by the serving government. “Such lethargy and red tape were not acceptable to my government and people of Pakistan as they had benefited from the Turkish investment and support,” affirmed Sharif in an address to investors.

Thus, efforts to break free from procedural headaches marks a potential win for Pakistan- Türkiye business interests, particularly with trade volume expansion and new sectors gaining recognition.

Ankara’s openness to major trade connectivity arrangements makes the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) a valuable case for the future. Islamabad has long understood the benefits presented to investors, markets and partner nations under the Belt and Road, and is keen to share those returns with Türkiye in the heart of South Asia. Sharif’s emphasis on trilateral cooperation between Beijing, Ankara and Islamabad offers a vital opportunity to fast-changing Türkiye for extending its market reach productively from West to East.

Note that the latter has already been stepping up its trade and connectivity footprint in Pakistan’s broader neighbourhood, including through a flurry of economic diplomacy with Central Asian states. Hence, Islamabad’s inputs on improved security measures for Turkish stakeholders, priority investment opportunities, and red-tape elimination serve as a step in the right direction. “Let’s learn from our experience, from the past and move with speed so that we can compensate for the losses of the past … There is infinite potential and capacity on both sides. Let us synergise them. Let us put them together,” said Sharif during his visit.

Another major takeaway from the relationship is its deepened focus on win-win defence cooperation as seen in the launch of the most recent corvette warship tailored for the Pakistan Navy by Türkiye. The project has been a successful, addition to prior advancements in the warship space, effectively catering to each other’s expectations in the defence industrial complex. At present, the latest corvette warship’s launch also carries welcome lessons for stepping up the frequency and scale of their bilateral defence partnerships. Especially when Turkish vessels play an essential role in keeping Pakistan’s ‘enemies at distance.’

One opening to drive that change is by prioritising the enhancement of industrial skills and defence expertise under flagship Pakistan-Türkiye manufacturing projects. It would be a mistake to relate on-going defence projects, such as the MILGEM Turkish warship program, to those that are being stepped up in their respective neighbourhoods by others. This is because neither Türkiye nor Islamabad is aiming for any offensive capability. Rather, the goal is to treat state-of-the-art military technologies as a major leap for peace, and not for ‘war or aggression.’

At a time of rising geopolitical turbulence in their neighbourhoods, Ankara and Islamabad have also kept a strategic perspective on major conflicts and are all-in for negotiated peace. Take the Ukraine-Russia war. Principled neutrality, aversion to bloc politics, and support for mediation feature prominently in their foreign policy calculations.

This backdrop is important as it reinforces the need to strengthen Pakistan-Türkiye coordination on issues that dominate regional and international discourse. The very fact that such coordination was evident during Sharif’s two-day visit suggests wide latitude for cooperative diplomacy, from the United Nations to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

All told, there is simply no doubt that the Türkiye-Pakistan strategic partnership will continue to evolve favourably in the new era.

The writer is a foreign affairs commentator and recipient of the Fulbright Award