Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, accompanied by Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir, met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the sidelines of the OIC Foreign Ministers’ Summit in Istanbul. During the meeting, Dar delivered Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s message of goodwill and emphasized Pakistan’s desire to further strengthen its deep-rooted fraternal ties with Türkiye. Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to broadening cooperation in political, economic, and defense sectors.
The discussions also centered on pressing regional issues, particularly the escalating tensions between Iran and Israel. Pakistan and Türkiye agreed to intensify diplomatic efforts to prevent further conflict and called for international intervention to stabilize the region. They stressed the urgent need for a peaceful resolution to avoid further humanitarian suffering.
A key focus of the meeting was the ongoing crisis in Gaza, where both leaders strongly condemned Israel’s military aggression. They urged immediate international action to halt violence and ensure uninterrupted humanitarian aid reaches Palestinian civilians. The leaders emphasized that lasting peace in the Middle East requires addressing the root causes of the conflict, including the Palestinian right to self-determination.
Before concluding, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar congratulated President Erdoğan on Türkiye’s successful hosting of the OIC summit and praised his leadership, which was recently honored with an award by the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum. The meeting underscored the shared vision of Pakistan and Türkiye in promoting regional stability and strengthening Muslim world solidarity.