Erdoğan: Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Pakistan to strengthen ties through joint initiatives

Türkiye, Azerbaijan, and Pakistan will take joint steps to deepen their trilateral cooperation, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said.

He made the announcement at a joint press conference with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on April 22, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

Erdoğan emphasised Ankara's commitment to enhancing its relations with Turkic states, highlighting Islamabad as a key partner in this process.

Earlier the same day, President Erdoğan received Prime Minister Sharif at the presidential residence for high-level talks.

On July 3, 2024, the leaders of Türkiye, Azerbaijan, and Pakistan convened their first trilateral summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit. During this meeting, they discussed enhancing cooperation in areas such as trade, defense, and regional connectivity. They also addressed pressing global issues, including the situations in Gaza, Cyprus, Kashmir, and the rise of Islamophobia.

The countries have shown a united front on various international platforms, supporting each other's positions on key issues and advocating for peaceful resolutions to conflicts. Their collective stance aims to promote regional and global peace and stability.

Azerbaijani, Turkish, and Pakistani special forces conducted the "Three Brothers – 2021" joint drills in Baku, focusing on improving coordination and combat readiness. ​​

By Khagan Isayev