ISLAMABAD:
Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Sahir Shamshad Mirza held high-level meetings with senior defense officials from Turkiye and Azerbaijan on Wednesday to explore avenues for strengthening defense and security cooperation, according to a statement from the Pakistan Army’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
The meetings took place on the sidelines of the 17th International Defense Industry Fair (IDEF) in Istanbul—a premier platform for showcasing the latest innovations in military technology and defense collaboration.
During his visit, General Mirza met individually with Turkish Minister of National Defense Gen. (Retd) Yasar Guler, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Defense Col. Gen. Hasanov Zakir Asgar Oglu, Deputy Minister of Defense Gurbanov Agil Salim Oglu, and Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Metin Gurak.
According to ISPR, discussions focused on a wide range of bilateral military cooperation initiatives, with particular emphasis on enhancing collaboration in defense and security in light of evolving geo-strategic dynamics and rapid technological advancements.
“The dignitaries reaffirmed their shared commitment to deepening strategic partnerships and expanding defense cooperation,” the statement said.
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The deepening of defense ties comes amid growing trilateral alignment between Islamabad, Ankara, and Baku. Both Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev publicly backed Pakistan during its recent military standoff with India in May, solidifying political and military goodwill between the nations.
Earlier this month, Turkiye’s defense and foreign ministers visited Islamabad for a series of high-level engagements reportedly centered on counterterrorism collaboration, defense cooperation, and broader strategic alignment.
Pakistan and Turkiye have maintained robust defense ties in recent years. Under a landmark 2018 agreement, Turkiye is delivering four MILGEM-class corvettes to the Pakistan Navy—two of which are being constructed in Istanbul, while the other two are being built at Karachi Shipyard under a technology transfer arrangement.