Pakistan and Turkiye pledged unwavering mutual support on Saturday, alongside a renewed push to lift bilateral trade to $5 billion.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shared these commitments at a joint press conference in Istanbul, held after talks on bilateral ties and broader regional matters.

PM Shehbaz said he held an important meeting with Turkish business figures at the B2B forum and described his talks with Erdogan as comprehensive and constructive, covering investment and trade in special economic zones.

He said Pakistan remained committed to achieving the $5 billion bilateral trade target.

Welcoming the prime minister and his delegation, President Erdogan expressed satisfaction over the pace of cooperation between the two countries. “We will always stand by each other,” he said.

President Erdogan described the Islamabad memorandum of understanding, signed between the United States and Iran with Pakistan as mediator, as highly significant for global peace, and said Turkiye would continue supporting Pakistan’s efforts for peace and prosperity, calling its initiatives in this regard commendable.

The Turkish president said the talks also covered trade, investment and economic cooperation, with the relevant ministries of both countries set to maintain close coordination on special economic zones. He added that Turkiye would encourage its business community to invest in Pakistan.

PM Shehbaz thanked Erdogan for the warm welcome and hospitality, saying the people of Pakistan and Turkiye shared a deep, heartfelt bond.

“Pakistan and Turkiye have stood by each other in every difficulty — be it war, earthquake or flood,” he said, citing Turkiye’s assistance during the Muzaffargarh floods and its support for socio-economic development in earthquake-affected areas.

“Pakistan and Turkiye are two hearts beating as one,” he added.

The prime minister said the teachings of Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi and Allama Iqbal continued to guide the two nations, and praised Turkiye’s development across all sectors under Erdogan’s leadership, saying Pakistan was proud of its friendship with Turkiye.

He also said Pakistan supported Turkiye’s position on the Cyprus issue, and thanked Turkiye for its unequivocal stance on the Kashmir dispute, adding that the two countries needed to give their partnership a new direction.

Earlier, PM Shehbaz after a meeting with President Erdogan, shared details on X.

“Our discussions covered the full spectrum of the Pakistan-Turkiye Strategic Partnership, with particular focus on trade, investment, defence cooperation, energy, connectivity, technology, regional peace, and people-to-people exchanges,” he wrote.

“We reaffirmed our shared belief that dialogue, diplomacy, and mutual respect remain the only sustainable path to resolving disputes and preserving international peace and security. I thanked President Erdogan for his warm hospitality,” he added.

He said the two sides had agreed to fully leverage the immense potential of their partnership to achieve the $5 billion bilateral trade target and take the “enduring bonds of brotherhood” between the two countries to greater heights.

Earlier in the day, PM Shehbaz attended the Pakistan-Turkiye Business Conference, where he met representatives of Turkiye’s business community.

He said their optimism, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit reinforced his conviction that the economic partnership between the two countries was entering “a new and exciting chapter” under Erdogan’s leadership.