Istanbul — Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Istanbul this weekend, signaling a renewed phase in Ankara-Islamabad relations. The high-level dialogue comes just weeks after a ceasefire agreement ended a tense military confrontation between India and Pakistan.
According to Turkiye’s presidential office, the two leaders committed to expanding cooperation in areas such as defence, energy, and transportation. Erdogan also emphasized the importance of educational and technological collaboration, particularly in counterterrorism efforts.
The timing of the meeting is notable. It follows public expressions of solidarity by Erdogan during India’s airstrikes on Pakistan-administered Kashmir, an operation New Delhi claimed was in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 people. India has accused Pakistan of enabling the assault—a charge Islamabad denies.
The Turkish government has faced criticism from Indian officials and media over alleged weapons shipments to Pakistan during the conflict, a claim Ankara has categorically denied. Nevertheless, the diplomatic rift has added strain to Turkiye’s relations with India.
During the conflict, Turkiye issued a strong warning about the risk of escalation between the two nuclear-armed nations, urging both sides to avoid full-scale warfare and calling for an international investigation into the Pahalgam incident.
The May 10 ceasefire between India and Pakistan appears to have de-escalated immediate tensions, but Erdogan’s meeting with Sharif underscores the complex diplomatic calculations Turkiye must now navigate. As it asserts itself more prominently in Muslim-majority nations’ affairs, Turkiye’s balancing act between regional allegiances and global interests becomes increasingly delicate.
The Ankara-Islamabad partnership is also part of a broader pattern in global affairs, where countries are realigning traditional partnerships and seeking multipolar leverage. For Pakistan, strengthening ties with Turkiye offers diplomatic depth; for Turkiye, the move further cements its role as a key power broker in the Global South.
This development reflects a growing shift in international relations—one where regional conflicts increasingly intersect with broader geopolitical strategies.
