ANKARA (The Thursday Times) — Turk Sadr Recep Tayyip Erdoğan ne Mangal ko Ankara Airport par Pakistan ke Chief of Defence Forces aur Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir ka istiqbal kiya, jahan donon ke darmiyan Field Marshal Asim Munir ke Türkiye ke do roza sarkari daure ke dauran band darwaze ke andar mulaqat hui. Yeh mulaqat airport par us waqt hui jab Erdoğan Qatar ke sarkari daure par rawana hone ki tayyari kar rahe thay. Donon rahnumaon ne ilaqai security aur bahmi dilchaspi ke muamlat par baat cheet ki aur Pakistan-Türkiye strategic partnership ko mazboot banane ke mushtarka tasawwur ko dohraya, Inter-Services Public Relations aur Turk Sadarat ke mutabiq.
Media ke liye band is mulaqat mein Turk Naib Sadr Cevdet Yılmaz, Turk General Staff ke Chief General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu aur National Intelligence Organisation ke Director İbrahim Kalın shareek hue. Daure ke dauran Field Marshal Asim Munir ne Turk Wazir-e-Difa Yaşar Güler se bhi mulaqat ki. ISPR ne kaha ke aala satah ki in mushawarat ne tabdeel hote hue geopolitical mahaul mein zyada mazboot strategic partnership ko farogh dene ke donon mulkon ke mushtarka tasawwur ko ujagar kiya.
Ankara pahunchne par Field Marshal Asim Munir ko Turk Musallah Afwaj ke teenon afwaj par mushtamil daste ne guard of honour pesh kiya. Unhon ne Turk General Staff headquarters mein General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu se ilaqai security aur difai taawun par tafseeli mulaqat ki. Un ki numaya khidmat aur do tarfa fauji taalluqat ko mazboot banane ke azm ke aitraf mein Field Marshal Asim Munir ko Turk Musallah Afwaj ke Distinguished Service Medal se nawaza gaya, jo Türkiye ke sab se oonche fauji aizazat mein se aik hai.
During the visit, Field Marshal Asim Munir also travelled to Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, where he laid a floral wreath and paid respects to the founder of modern Türkiye, acknowledging his visionary leadership and the deep-rooted historical bonds between the two nations. He also met General Metin Tokel, Commander of the Turkish Land Forces, at their headquarters.
The visit comes weeks after General Metin Tokel travelled to Rawalpindi last month and met Field Marshal Asim Munir at General Headquarters, where the two discussed regional security dynamics and avenues for enhanced bilateral defence cooperation. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Erdoğan in Istanbul, where the two leaders reaffirmed their brotherly ties and pledged to expand economic cooperation with a target of increasing bilateral trade to $5 billion. Türkiye is also building corvette warships for the Pakistan Navy under the two countries’ long-standing defence relationship.
Field Marshal Asim Munir’s international profile has risen in recent months following the central role he played in Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts to mediate between the United States and Iran. The Türkiye visit continues a sustained period of Pakistani defence and diplomatic engagement, and signifies, the ISPR said, the resolve of both nations to further strengthen their multifaceted defence relationship and continue their joint efforts for regional peace and stability.
