Erdogan receives Pakistan army chief at Ankara Airport

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday received Pakistan's army chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir at Ankara Airport in a closed-door meeting aimed at strengthening bilateral defense ties. Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz, Chief of General Staff Gen. Selcuk Bayraktaroglu and National Intelligence Organization (MIT) chief Ibrahim Kalin also attended the talks, according to a statement from the Turkish Presidency.

The meeting took place at the airport's presidential facility without prior announcement, signaling the strategic nature of the discussions between Ankara and Islamabad. Field Marshal Munir, who assumed command of Pakistan's armed forces in November 2022 after serving as director-general of the Inter-Services Intelligence agency, has previously emphasized expanding military cooperation with Türkiye.

Strategic partnership

Türkiye and Pakistan maintain close defense and intelligence cooperation, with regular joint military exercises and counter-terrorism coordination. The presence of both Bayraktaroglu and Kalin alongside Erdogan underscores the security and intelligence dimensions of Tuesday's discussions, officials familiar with the bilateral relationship said.

No official readout was immediately released regarding specific agreements or discussions during the meeting. High-level contacts between Ankara and Islamabad have intensified in recent months amid shifting regional security dynamics in South Asia and the broader Middle East.