Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Islamabad shortly after midnight on Thursday for a two-day visit, where he was received by Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Aseefa Bhutto, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, and other senior officials welcomed him at Nur Khan Airbase. A 21-gun salute marked his arrival, with Pakistan Air Force jets escorting his aircraft into the country’s airspace.
Children in traditional attire presented bouquets to President Erdogan and First Lady Emine Erdogan, while Turkish and Pakistani flags waved during a ceremonial welcome featuring a military band performance.
During his visit, Erdogan and Sharif will co-chair the 7th Session of the Pakistan-Turkiye High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council, where a joint declaration and multiple agreements and MoUs are expected to be signed.
The Turkish leader will also hold bilateral meetings with Sharif and Zardari. On Thursday, he inspected a guard of honour at the Prime Minister’s House before meeting with cabinet members and Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir.