Pakistan vows to deepen strategic partnership with Turkiye under Makkah defense pact
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday congratulated President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Turkish people on their country’s Victory Day, promising to deepen Islamabad’s strategic partnership with Ankara under a trilateral defense pact together with Saudi Arabia.
The Makkah Joint Defense Agreement, signed by Sharif, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Erdogan on Aug. 7, stipulates that an armed attack against any one of the three countries will be regarded as an attack against all of them.
In a post on X on Turkiye’s Victory Day, Sharif said the bonds between Pakistan and Türkiye are “bonds of the heart, forged over centuries of shared faith, history and struggle.”
“Today our two nations have reaffirmed this strategic expression of enduring brotherhood through the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement, which binds our two nations, alongside the brotherly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in our shared pursuit of common security and collective deterrence,” he said.
“Pakistan remains unflinching in its commitment to further deepening its strategic partnership with Türkiye across all domains for the shared prosperity and security of our two nations.”
He extended his felicitations to the Turkish leadership and people on Victory Day, which commemorates the victory of Turkish forces, led by against Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, against Greek troops in the Battle of
Dumlupınar on August 26-30, 1922, marking the effective end of the Turkish War of Independence.
“The 30th of August commemorates the historic victory secured under the leadership of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, which laid the foundations of the modern Turkish Republic. Pakistan joins its Turkish brothers and sisters in honoring this proud legacy of courage and national resolve,” Sharif said.
“May the abiding friendship and brotherhood between Pakistan and Türkiye continue to flourish for generations to come.”