ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, discussed regional security and deeper defense cooperation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and senior military officials during a high-level visit to Turkiye, the Pakistan army’s media wing said on Tuesday.
Pakistan and Turkiye have built one of their closest defense partnerships in recent years, centered on naval cooperation, military training and defense manufacturing. Under a landmark agreement signed in 2018, Turkish defense firm ASFAT is building four MILGEM corvettes for the Pakistan Navy, two in Istanbul and two at Karachi Shipyard under a technology-transfer arrangement.
The countries also hold regular joint naval exercises and have expanded cooperation in aerospace and unmanned systems. They have also explored broader regional security arrangements, including a draft trilateral defense agreement involving Saudi Arabia.
Photos shared on July 14, 2026, show Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, meeting with the senior military leadership of Turkiye. (ISPR)
“Munir called on President H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Minister of National Defense, Yaşar Güler, to discuss matters of mutual interest and regional security,” the Inter-Services Public Relations said in a statement.
“These high-level deliberations underscored the shared vision of both nations to foster a more robust strategic partnership in evolving geopolitical environment,” it added.
Munir also held talks with Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu on regional security and professional military matters, according to ISPR.
Photos shared on July 14, 2026, show Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, meeting with Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu. (ISPR)
Bayraktaroğlu awarded Munir the Turkish Armed Forces Distinguished Service Medal for his contribution to bilateral military cooperation, the statement said.
Munir separately visited the Turkish Land Forces headquarters and met its commander, Gen. Metin Tokel. He also laid a wreath at Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of modern Turkiye.
The field marshal’s visit also comes after months in which he has played a prominent role in Pakistan’s diplomacy over regional conflicts. He has made repeated trips to Iran as Islamabad mediated between Tehran and Washington, and joined high-level US-Iran negotiations in Switzerland in June.
Pakistan, led by the field marshal, has also coordinated with Turkiye, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and other allies on efforts to contain wider Middle East instability.
