ISTANBUL

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif "strongly" condemned the brutal killing of over 50,000 innocent Palestinians during a joint news conference with Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the capital Ankara.

"We have called for an immediate ceasefire and unhindered flow of humanitarian assistance for the Palestinian people. We renewed our call for a viable, independent, and contiguous Palestinian state with pre-1967 borders and Jerusalem as its capital," Sharif said.

Sharif stressed joint efforts to "beat this menace of terrorism" not only in Pakistan and Türkiye but "all over the world," noting that long-standing alliances are shifting and giving way to new ones.

Pakistan and Türkiye focused on "enhancing economic collaboration, particularly through joint ventures and investments," in sectors such as energy, IT, and infrastructure, with the hope that both sides would meet "the mutually agreed target of increasing their bilateral trade to $5 billion."

"Defense and security cooperation remains a pillar of Pakistan-Türkiye cooperation," the prime minister remarked.

He also appreciated Türkiye's "unwavering support on the Kashmir issue" and reaffirmed Pakistan's support for "the people of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus."

Türkiye and Pakistan have agreed to "continue close cooperation in multilateral forums," said Sharif.