President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held separate high-level meetings on Friday with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) summit in the Azerbaijani city of Khankendi, reports Daily Sabah.
During his talks with Prime Minister Sharif, Erdoğan emphasized ongoing efforts to strengthen cooperation between Türkiye and Pakistan, particularly in the fields of trade, energy, and defense. According to a statement from Türkiye’s Communications Directorate shared on social media platform X, the two leaders also reviewed regional developments and global challenges.
Erdoğan reiterated the urgent need for joint action to stop Israel’s military operations in Gaza, calling for an immediate ceasefire and uninterrupted humanitarian access for Palestinians. Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for a peaceful resolution to the conflict and expressed solidarity with Türkiye's diplomatic initiatives.
Both leaders underscored their commitment to advancing shared goals of peace, stability, and sustainable development. They also agreed on enhancing collaboration in strategic sectors such as connectivity infrastructure, investment, and security cooperation.
President Erdoğan was accompanied by a senior Turkish delegation, including Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Trade Minister Ömer Bolat, Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, Communications Director Fahrettin Altun, and Chief Foreign Policy Adviser Akif Çağatay Kılıç.
Later in the day, Erdoğan met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian for a wide-ranging discussion on regional tensions and bilateral relations. The Turkish leader highlighted the importance of deepening cooperation with Iran in counterterrorism efforts and emphasized turning the current de facto ceasefire between Iran and Israel into sustainable regional stability.
Calling for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve disputes, Erdoğan expressed Ankara’s willingness to act as a mediator to facilitate peaceful outcomes. He also stressed that enhancing trade and economic relations between Türkiye and Iran would serve the mutual interests of both countries.
President Pezeshkian’s meeting with Erdoğan was also attended by the same high-level Turkish delegation present at the earlier talks with Sharif.
The bilateral meetings come at a time when Türkiye continues to position itself as a diplomatic bridge in the region, advocating for multilateral solutions to enduring conflicts and economic cooperation among ECO member states.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
