Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif walks hand-in-hand with Turkey's Erdogan, lauds 'resolute support' against India
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul and thanked him for his support during the recent military conflict between New Delhi and Islamabad. The meeting comes amid diplomatic tension between India and Turkey over the latter's support to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor.
'Had the honour of meeting my dear brother President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul this evening. Thanked him for his resolute support to Pakistan in the recent Pakistan-India standoff, which resulted in Pakistan's overwhelming victory, Alhamdolillah! Conveyed the sentiments of gratitude from the people of Pakistan to their Turkish brothers and sisters,' said Sharif in a post on X.
He also shared a photo of himself walking hand-in-hand with Erdogan.
'We also reviewed the ongoing progress of our multifaceted bilateral engagements particularly in trade and investment and reaffirmed our resolve to continue working closely to further strengthen these unshakable bonds of brotherhood and cooperation. Long live Pakistan Turkiye Friendship,' he added.
Replying to Sharif's post, Erdogan said that the two leaders discussed several critical issues, including economy, trade, and security. 'We reaffirmed and strengthened our determination to enhance the deep-rooted historical, human, and political relations between Türkiye and Pakistan in all areas,' he wrote.
Also read: Amid boycott calls for Turkey, PM Modi says more Indians choosing domestic vacations
As my dear brother @CMShehbaz expressed, we further solidified the unshakable bonds, cooperation, solidarity, and brotherhood between our countries and peoples. I convey my heartfelt affection to our Pakistani brothers through Mr. Sharif. I thank him and his delegation for their visit. May our Lord make our unity, togetherness, and brotherhood everlasting…' he added.
Tensions between India and Turkey heightened after the latter showed support to Pakistan during the four-day military conflict between New Delhi and Islamabad. Pakistan also used Turkey-made drones during the conflict, fuelling the tensions.
India on Thursday, May 22, said that it expects Turkey to 'strongly urge' Pakistan to end its support to cross-border terrorism and take action against the terrorist ecosystem.
'We expect Turkey to strongly urge Pakistan to end its support to cross-border terrorism and take credible and verifiable actions against the terror ecosystem it has harboured for decades,' the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said last week.
India's Bureau of Civil Aviation Security also revoked clearance of Turkish aviation firm Celebi, which earlier provided ground-based services at nine airports across India – Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Cochin, Kannur, Chennai, and the MOPA airport in Goa.
According to Jaiswal, the issue has been discussed with the Turkish Embassy in India.
"Celebi matter has been discussed with the Turkish Embassy here. But I understand that this particular decision was taken by the Civil Aviation Security..." he said.
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