Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has arrived in Pakistan for a two-day visit to boost trade and economic ties between Ankara and Islamabad.
Erdogan, accompanied by a high-level delegation and his first lady, arrived in Pakistan’s capital late on Wednesday and was scheduled to hold high-level meetings on Thursday.
He was greeted by his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other senior government officials.
Erdogan is visiting Pakistan at the invitation of Sharif, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Al Jazeera’s Kamal Hyder, reporting from Islamabad, said Erdogan’s visit is “crucial” as the two nations deal with the geopolitical changes in the region and in the West, including the return of US President Donald Trump to the White House.
Hyder said that on top of the discussions on trade and closer military cooperation, the issue of Palestine would likely be discussed during the official meetings.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said the Turkish president would jointly chair “the 7th Session of the Pakistan-Turkiye High Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC)” and the sides are expected to sign a number of agreements.
According to the ministry’s statement, HLSCC will provide “strategic direction to further strengthening the bilateral relations between the two countries”.
Pakistan, which has witnessed a surge in armed violence in recent months, has deployed additional police officers and paramilitary forces to ensure the security of the Turkish leader and his delegation.
The visit comes hours after the United States embassy issued a travel advisory, citing a threat by Pakistan Taliban against the Faisal Mosque in Islamabad, and asked its citizens to avoid visits to the mosque and nearby areas until further notice.
Pakistan is the third stopover of Erdogan’s three-nation trip, which also brought him to the two Southeast Asian nations of Malaysia and Indonesia.
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