Turkish military chief meets Pakistan’s premier

By Aamir Latif and Islamuddin Sajid

KARACHI/ISLAMABD, Pakistan

Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Thursday met Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar at the Prime Minister's Office in the capital Islamabad.

Akar, who arrived in Pakistan on an official visit, conveyed the greetings of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Abbasi and expressed satisfaction at the high-level contacts between the two countries, said a statement from the Prime Minister House.

The two brotherly countries supported each other within all international and regional organizations on issues of mutual interest, Gen Akar observed, and said there was a need to further increase cooperation at the defence level with focus on increasing contacts, training and joint exercises.

Prime Minister Abbasi, while reciprocating the greetings of the Turkish leadership stated that the governments and the people of Pakistan and Turkey enjoyed exemplary fraternal relations, the statement said.

Expressing satisfaction over bilateral defense cooperation between the two countries, he briefed the Turkish military chief on Pakistan’s successful counterterrorism efforts.

The both sides emphasized the need to further enhance and strengthen their brotherly relations, the statement concluded.

Earlier, Akar met Pakistan's top military leadership.

The meeting took place at the headquarters in Rawalpindi, a garrison city adjacent to capital Islamabad, said Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military's media wing, in a statement.

The meeting was held with Pakistan's army chief Gen. Qamar Javed Baja and Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen. Zubair Mahmoud Hayat.

Akar and Hayat discussed security issues, enhancing bilateral military engagements and cooperation, the statement added.

Turkish military chief praised the Pakistan army's sacrifices in the war on terror.