ISLAMABAD – Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir arrived in Türkiye on Monday for two-day official visit, where he is set to hold high-level meetings with country’s military and political leadership.
The visit shows growing strategic partnership between Pakistan and Türkiye, with talks set to focus on defence cooperation, regional security, and expanding military collaboration.
COAS was warmly received upon his arrival and is expected to hold a series of high-level meetings with Türkiye’s top military commanders and political leadership. According to officials, the talks will focus on regional security, evolving geopolitical challenges, bilateral defence cooperation, and new avenues for expanding military collaboration between the two long-standing allies.
The visit comes at a time when Pakistan and Türkiye are rapidly broadening defence ties, with cooperation extending beyond conventional military exchanges to include joint production, advanced defence technologies, aerospace collaboration, and naval modernisation.
Pakistan and Türkiye maintained close ties for decades, built on historical goodwill, cultural affinity, and mutual diplomatic support. In recent years, however, the relationship has evolved into one of the most comprehensive defence partnerships in the region.
Several institutional platforms drive this cooperation, including the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC), the Pakistan–Türkiye Joint Working Group on Defence Industry, and the High-Level Military Dialogue Group. These mechanisms oversee defence planning, industrial collaboration, technology sharing, and military coordination.
Naval cooperation remains the cornerstone of the partnership. Under Türkiye’s MILGEM programme, Pakistan is acquiring four Babur-class (Jinnah-class) corvettes, with construction divided between Turkish and Pakistani shipyards under an extensive technology transfer arrangement. Türkiye has also played a key role in upgrading Pakistan’s Agosta 90B submarines and providing advanced naval systems.
The defence ties also expanded into the aerospace domain. Pakistan has inducted Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 and Akıncı unmanned aerial systems into its arsenal, while Turkish firms have contributed to the modernisation of Pakistan’s F-16 fighter fleet. Pakistan, in turn, has exported Super Mushshak trainer aircraft to Türkiye, while discussions continue on potential collaboration in Türkiye’s indigenous 5th-Gen fighter jets.
Both sides continue to strengthen operational cooperation through regular joint military exercises, intelligence sharing, counterterrorism coordination, defence research, radar and electronic warfare technologies.
Field Marshal Asim Munir, Turkish General reaffirm security ties in key talks
