ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top military commander, Field Marshal Asim Munir, met the Chief of the Turkish General Staff, General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu, on Friday to discuss deepening defense cooperation, as regional security concerns intensify amid the ongoing tensions in the Middle East.

The meeting comes against the backdrop of widening geopolitical uncertainty following the Gaza war, which has heightened the risk of broader regional escalation involving Iran and the United States, and as Ankara explores closer defense coordination with partners beyond NATO.

Earlier this month, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Türkiye was in talks to join a defense alliance established between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia last September, signaling a possible expansion of security cooperation among key regional players.

The Turkish general called on Pakistan’s chief of defense forces at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, according to the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

“During the meeting, besides dilating upon matters of mutual interest, prevailing regional and global security landscape, and prospects for strengthening bilateral defense and military cooperation were also discussed,” the ISPR said in a statement.

It added that both sides “expressed satisfaction on current trajectory of Pakistan-Türkiye relations while underscoring the requirement of maintaining close coordination and enhancing defense collaboration.”

Munir welcomed the support of the Turkish Armed Forces and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening military-to-military ties, according to the statement.

It said that Bayraktaroglu praised the professionalism of Pakistan’s armed forces and expressed Türkiye’s intent to deepen defense cooperation through training, joint exercises and capacity-building initiatives.

Pakistan and Türkiye maintain close diplomatic, economic and defense relations, with military cooperation forming a major pillar of their partnership.

Last month, a high-level delegation of Turkish aerospace and defense manufacturers visited Pakistan to explore joint ventures, co-production and technology-sharing opportunities. In August 2025, the navies of both countries conducted their first bilateral amphibious exercise to strengthen maritime coordination.

Turkish defense firms have played a key role in modernizing Pakistan’s Agosta 90B-class submarines and have supplied Islamabad with advanced military hardware, including drones.

The two countries also regularly conduct joint military drills. Their most recent exercise, Ataturk-XIII in February 2025, brought together special forces units for combat training aimed at improving their ability to operate effectively together in the field.