Dar , Fidan reaffirm unity on Palestine issue
Pakistan, Türkiye vow to deepen political, economic and defence ties
ISLAMABAD/ISTANBUL: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to deepen cooperation with Türkiye across political, economic, and defence spheres in a meeting with his Turkish counterpart, while agreeing to continue working together on the issue of Palestine, the Foreign Office (FO) said.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Coordination Meeting of Arab-Islamic Foreign Ministers on Gaza, for which Dar arrived in Istanbul earlier in the day.
“The Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister, Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar held a bilateral meeting with the Foreign Minister of Türkiye, H.E. Hakan Fidan, on the sidelines of the Ministerial Meeting on Gaza in Istanbul,” the FO statement said.“
“During the meeting, the ministers expressed satisfaction over the positive trajectory of Pakistan–Türkiye bilateral relations and reaffirmed their shared commitment to further deepening cooperation across political, economic, and defence spheres.
“Both sides agreed to continue working together on the issue of Palestine, especially establishing sustainable peace in Gaza.”
It added that both leaders reaffirmed the strong bonds of brotherhood and mutual support that continue to underpin Pakistan–Türkiye relations and agreed to maintain close coordination on regional and international issues.
Earlier in the day, the FO posted on X that upon arrival, FM Dar was received by Ambassador Ahmet Cemil Miroğlu, Director General of Protocol, as well as officials of the Pakistan Embassy.
The talks are to begin at around 11am GMT (4pm Pakistan time) at an Istanbul hotel, with a news conference due several hours later.
Hamas and Israel had signed a ceasefire agreement on October 9, agreeing to free the Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, in the first phase of United States President Donald Trump’s initiative to end the Israeli onslaught in Gaza. Pakistan was one of the eight Arab and Muslim countries to work with Trump on the plan.
However, despite signing the deal, Tel Aviv has already resumed its attacks on Gaza.
Monday’s meeting is expected to bring together the foreign ministers of Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Qatar, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan — the same countries that met with Trump on Sept 23 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Ankara is set to urge the dignitaries to support plans for Palestinians to take control of Gaza’s security and governance.
Fidan is expected to “emphasise the importance of coordinated action by Muslim countries for the ceasefire to evolve into a lasting peace”, a Turkish foreign ministry source was quoted as saying by Reuters. Staff Report
