Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf has been conferred with Turkiye’s highest military award, the “Legion of Merit of the Turkish Armed Forces”, at a ceremony in Istanbul.

Admiral Naveed Ashraf was presented with a guard of honour upon his arrival at the Turkish Naval Forces Headquarters, according to the ISPR.

The naval chief held an important meeting with the Commander of the Turkish Naval Forces, where discussions were held on bilateral naval cooperation and matters of mutual interest.

During his official visit to Turkiye, Admiral Naveed also met with the Turkish Minister of Defence, the Chief of General Staff, and the Commander of the Turkish Naval Fleet.

The meetings emphasised enhancing regional maritime security, defence partnerships, joint exercises, and capacity-building in training.

As part of the visit, the naval chief also toured the Istanbul Naval Shipyard to review progress on the Pakistan Navy’s Milgem project.

During his visit to the Gölcük Naval Base, Admiral Naveed Ashraf also observed the submarine construction capabilities.

The naval chief visited several naval installations, including a Turkish ship, and laid a floral wreath at the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.