Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday at the Vahdettin Palace in Istanbul for high-level bilateral discussions.

Following an official welcoming ceremony, the two leaders held a closed-door bilateral meeting to discuss a range of issues concerning Türkiye-Pakistan relations as well as regional and international developments.

The meeting was attended by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, head of the National Intelligence Organization İbrahim Kalın, Communications Director Burhanettin Duran, and presidential chief adviser Akif Çağatay Kılıç.

According to official sources, the one-hour bilateral meeting focused on areas of mutual interest and opportunities to further deepen the longstanding strategic partnership between Türkiye and Pakistan.

Following their talks, Erdoğan and Sharif joined senior officials from both countries for a delegation-level working lunch, where broader discussions on political, economic, trade and security cooperation were expected to continue.

The visit underscores the close ties between Ankara and Islamabad, with both nations maintaining strong diplomatic relations and cooperating on a variety of regional and international issues.

The two leaders are also expected to address the media during a joint news conference, where they are anticipated to outline the outcomes of their discussions and reaffirm their commitment to expanding cooperation between Türkiye and Pakistan. (ILKHA)