Latest News

Source: Top Turkish officials will visit Pakistan on Wednesday

A Turkish diplomatic source confirmed on Tuesday that the Turkish foreign and defense ministers would visit Pakistan on March 13 to meet with Prime Minister Shehbaz Shariff and discuss bilateral relations, regional issues and cooperation in the defence industry.

The Turkish government has close ties to Pakistan, and it expressed its solidarity with Pakistan during the conflict between India and Pakistan in May. This angered India.

Sources said that Hakan Fidan, Turkey's Foreign Minister, will visit Ankara to express the desire of the country to strengthen ties across all fields and offer Ankara its support for taking steps towards regional peace.

Fidan will emphasize the need for countries to "intensify their cooperation in defence industry", the source said.

Ankara has also enjoyed cordial relations with India. However, after India's support for Pakistan small Indian grocery stores and major online fashion retailers have boycotted Turkish goods, while New Delhi cancelled the clearance of Celebi, a Turkish aviation service provider, due to "national security" concerns.

(source: Reuters)