Through varied collaborations, Pakistan and Türkiye want to increase commerce to $5 billion. At the February 13 Pakistan-Turkey High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC) meeting in Islamabad, both nations suggested expanding trade, investment, energy, defense, and tourist partnerships.
In 2024, Pakistan exported $335 million in textiles, grains, and leather to Türkiye. However, Pakistan bought $491 million in Turkish machinery, minerals, and agricultural items. Experts believe the Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) has decreased tariffs on important commodities, but both sides want more benefits from a broader FTA. They want to improve exports by removing non-tariff barriers and anti-dumping regulations.
Dr. Mehmoodul Hassan Khan, an economic strategist, stressed collaboration in sophisticated industries like aerospace, IT, AI, and green energy. Using the Turkish KAAN fighter jets and Bayraktar drones as examples, he said industrial cooperation might help Pakistan’s brain drain, especially in science and engineering.
Industry leader Muhammad Farooq Shaikhani advocated for textiles, agriculture, and IT. He offered direct trade channels for processed agro-goods and tech innovation between Hyderabad and Turkish cities.
This expanding cooperation promises economic and industrial growth for both countries and an objective that could change their bilateral trade landscape.
