Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan has said that Pakistan and Türkiye are all weather friends and that the ties of brotherhood between the two countries are time tested and historical in nature. He expressed his views while meeting a high-level delegation from the Bursa Chamber, Türkiye that called on Federal Minister for Communications, Abdul Aleem Khan, in Islamabad. The 15-Member delegation represents Türkiye’s Bursa Chamber and Defence Cluster Association based in Türkiye’s 4th largest city and the first capital of the Ottoman Empire and is visiting Pakistan under the umbrella of Türkiye’s Defence Industry. During the meeting, the two sides held detailed discussions on expanding cooperation in Defence, Communications, Aerospace, Food, Automobile and Manufacturing sectors with a strong focus on strengthening Business-to-Government (B2G) ties. The delegation informed the Federal Minister Abdul Aleem Khan that all the participating companies have significant stakes in the MILGEM frigate project, reflecting the strategic depth of industrial cooperation between the two countries. They also expressed hope that Türkiye’s leading financial institution, Ziraat Bank, is allowed to open a branch in Pakistan to bolster bilateral trade and investment.
Welcoming the delegation, Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan said that Pakistan and Türkiye have always stood by each other in difficult moments and cooperation in defence and communications continues to hold strategic importance. He noted that relations between the two nations had further strengthened during the recent conflict with India. Federal Minister emphasized that people-to-people connections significantly boost commercial activity, citing the example of direct flights to Baku which led to an increase in business linkages between Pakistan and Azerbaijan. He said that enhanced air connectivity with Türkiye would yield similar benefits. He further stated that every Pakistani stands ready to support their Turkish brothers whenever needed and appreciated the delegation’s warm remark that “Jeevay Jeevay Pakistan” is fondly sung in Türkiye, as well. Discussions also covered the Islamabad–Tehran–Istanbul Railway Corridor where the Federal Minister Abdul Aleem Khan reaffirmed Pakistan’s full cooperation. The delegation highlighted that Bursa Chamber is among Türkiye’s largest and most influential industrial bodies and that Bursa remains a major centre for advanced manufacturing and exports. They also extended an invitation to the Federal Minister to visit Bursa. The meeting concluded with both sides expressing strong commitment to deepening bilateral trade, B2G cooperation, industrial collaboration, and building long-term strategic partnerships between Pakistan and Türkiye.
