PM Shehbaz meets Turkish Foreign Minister in Antalya ahead of diplomatic forum

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday held an early meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan shortly after landing in Antalya on Thursday, who thanked him for his participation in the upcoming Antalya Diplomatic Forum, saying that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan looked forward to meeting the Pakistani Prime Minister on the sidelines of the event, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, Fidan visited the Prime Minister upon his arrival. Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Foreign Minister (FM) Ishaq Dar, along with Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) Syed Tariq Fatemi, were also present during the meeting.

Prime Minister Shehbaz expressed gratitude for the hospitality extended by Turkish leaders, describing Turkey as his “second home” and calling it a pleasure to visit the country.

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The Prime Minister is expected to participate in the fifth Antalya Diplomatic Forum, including a leaders’ panel titled “Mapping tomorrow, managing uncertainties” where he will present Pakistan’s perspective on key global challenges.

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The prime minister is on a three-country tour until Friday, having previously visited Saudi Arabia and Qatar, as Pakistan continues its diplomatic engagement as part of efforts to help resolve the Middle East crisis affecting the entire region.

According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, upon his arrival in Antalya, he was warmly welcomed by Governor Hulusi Şahin, who welcomed the Prime Minister and his delegation at the airport.

He will also attend the forum’s opening ceremony and is expected to meet President Erdoğan and other world leaders at the event, which brings together policymakers to discuss pressing international issues.

A day earlier, the Prime Minister had arrived in Saudi Arabia, where he met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah and expressed deep gratitude for Saudi Arabia’s continued support in strengthening Pakistan’s economic stability.

“Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen what has been described as an ‘enduring partnership’ between Islamabad and Riyadh,” read a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.

The Prime Minister then made a stopover in Qatar as part of his three-country tour, where he met the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and called for de-escalation and dialogue for peace in the Middle East.

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The Prime Minister’s Office said the two leaders also reviewed bilateral relations and explored ways to further strengthen ties, particularly in the areas of security, defense and energy, so as to strengthen partnership and open new avenues of cooperation.

The prime minister’s meeting with Qatar’s emir came four days after the United States and Iran were unable to reach an agreement to end their war despite marathon negotiations lasting about 21 hours. The protracted talks, aimed at ending hostilities that have left thousands dead and sent global oil prices soaring over the past six weeks, have resulted in both sides blaming each other for the impasse.

On April 11, the American and Iranian delegations arrived in Pakistan for conclusive negotiations after an immediate two-week ceasefire “everywhere, including Lebanon”, announced by Prime Minister Shehbaz, who then invited the two countries’ delegations to Islamabad.

The United States and Israel launched a joint offensive against Iran on February 28, killing thousands of people in Iran, including then-supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and injuring tens of thousands, including civilian areas, including residential buildings and religious sites.

The conflict has also expanded geographically. Iran responded with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel as well as Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries hosting US military assets. It also restricted the movement of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.