Army chief discusses regional security situation with Turkish President

ISLAMABAD: Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Wednesday called on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara and discussed matters of mutual interest and regional security.

The COAS thanked the President for perennial Turkish support to Pakistan and its role in bringing peace and stability in the region, an Inter-Services Public Relations news release said.

The Turkish President acknowledged the sacrifices made by Pakistan and the contributions of Pakistan Army in the fight against terrorism and militancy.

He said Islamic countries could contribute immensely towards global peace and stability and Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) offered a platform to do that through conflict resolution and dialogue.

He said Pakistan played a very important role towards that end and multi-faceted cooperation between the two brotherly countries would have a positive influence.

Both noted that Turkey and Pakistan could always count on each other’s unconditional and sincere support.

Earlier, the COAS called on Turkish Defence Minister Fikri Isik and discussed matters related to regional situation and bilateral security cooperation. Both agreed upon the tremendous potential for cooperation in the fields of security policies, defence production and human resource training.

Ambassador of Pakistan to Turkey, Mr Sohail, was also present during the meeting.

The COAS visited Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) where upon arrival he was briefed about the projects being undertaken by the prestigious organisation in both military and civil aviation industry. TAI has developed particular expertise in helicopters and unmanned ariel vehicles (UAVs).

The COAS, during visit to the facility, took an introductory flight in a T129 attack helicopter. Speaking on the occasion, the COAS appreciated the indigenous technical prowess achieved by Turkey.

Pakistan, he said, had great technological and industrial potential which opened the scope for very meaningful defence cooperation between the two countries.