The key facts

  • The Erdoğan–Sharif meeting took place in Antalya on the sidelines of the COP31 summit
  • Bilateral ties as well as regional and global issues were discussed
  • Erdoğan named transport and the defense industry as priorities and offered condolences over the attack on a police convoy in Pakistan

Meeting in Antalya

On Thursday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan received Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Antalya, on the sidelines of the COP31 summit. According to the Directorate of Communications, the meeting addressed bilateral relations between Turkey and Pakistan, as well as regional and global developments.

What the sides discussed

Erdoğan stated that the two countries will continue steps to give new momentum to bilateral ties and will step up efforts to expand cooperation in various areas, primarily in transport and the defense industry. According to him, the Mecca Defense Alliance has further strengthened solidarity between Ankara and Islamabad, and both countries will continue to jointly contribute to efforts to end the conflict in Iran. The Turkish leader also emphasized Turkey's readiness to do everything possible through peaceful means to help Pakistan address the challenges in its region, and expressed condolences to Sharif over those killed in the attack on a police convoy in Pakistan.