The 20th session of the Pakistan–Turkiye High-Level Military Dialogue Group (HLMDG) convened at the Ministry of Defence in Rawalpindi, assembling senior military officials from both countries to discuss expanding their defence and strategic collaboration. The Pakistani delegation was led by Lieutenant General (Rtd) Muhammad Ali HI(M), Secretary Defence and Co-Chair of the HLMDG, while General Levent Ergün, Vice Chief of the Turkish General Staff and Co-Chair of the Dialogue, headed the Turkish delegation.
During the meeting, the participants engaged in thorough and constructive discussions covering issues of mutual interest, such as regional security, defence and military cooperation, defence industry partnerships, training initiatives, capacity building, and opportunities to deepen the strategic alliance between Pakistan and Turkiye.
The two HLMDG sub-groups—the Politico-Military Working Group and the Defence Industry Working Group—conducted detailed sessions to assess progress on existing agenda items and explore new areas for collaboration. At the conclusion of the dialogue, both Co-Chairs delivered closing remarks reaffirming their commitment to further strengthen the longstanding brotherly relations and defence partnership between the two countries.
Both parties expressed satisfaction with the outcomes of the 20th HLMDG round and reiterated their intention to maintain regular engagements aimed at deepening bilateral defence cooperation.
In a significant development, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif highlighted the expanding cooperation between Pakistan and Turkiye in the judicial sector, particularly emphasizing the adoption of digital technologies to facilitate faster and more efficient justice delivery. He made these remarks during a meeting with Kadir Ozkaya, President of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Turkiye, who visited along with a high-level delegation.
Prime Minister Sharif underscored the deep-rooted brotherly ties between the two nations and noted that Pakistan and Turkiye were making steady progress toward a comprehensive economic partnership. He emphasized that both countries could learn from each other’s experiences to enhance citizens’ access to justice, pointing out that the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding during the Turkish delegation’s visit marked the initial step in this direction.
Additionally, the prime minister observed that Pakistan and Turkiye could benefit from shared expertise in legislation and implementation across various sectors, including climate change, counter-terrorism, immigration, and others.
In his address, Kadir Ozkaya expressed gratitude for Pakistan’s warm hospitality and remarked, “Love for Pakistan resides in the veins of every Turk.” He also highlighted that the Constitutional Court of Turkiye, which is 64 years old, is prepared to initiate a pilot project with Pakistan to share its extensive experience.
The meeting included the presence of Turkish Constitutional Court judges Rıdvan Guleç and Recai Akyel, Türkiye’s Ambassador to Pakistan Irfan Nezirolu, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Attorney General Mansoor Awan, Minister of State Barrister Aqeel Malik, and Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi.
