Turkish defense firms eye aerospace and military co-production, tech transfer with Pakistan

Pakistan and Turkiye officials gesture during a press briefing at the PEC Headquarters in Islamabad on December 10, 2025. (APP)
Short Url
Updated 11 December 2025
Follow

Turkish defense firms eye aerospace and military co-production, tech transfer with Pakistan

  • Turkish delegation meets Pakistan Engineering Council chairman to pursue joint ventures and technology transfer
  • Ankara has become one of Islamabad’s most significant partners in military hardware including warships, drones

ISLAMABAD: A high-level delegation of Turkish aerospace and defense manufacturers visited the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) this week to discuss joint ventures, co-production and technology-sharing opportunities with Pakistani counterparts, the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported on Thursday.

The visit comes as Pakistan and Türkiye move to deepen their defense and aerospace ties. Ankara has become one of Islamabad’s most significant partners in military hardware, including the supply of MILGEM-class warships, upgrades for Agosta-90B submarines and transfer of drone technology, while Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and Turkish Aerospace Industries have collaborated in aircraft modernization, avionics and training. Both countries also maintain close political and military cooperation as part of a long-standing strategic partnership.

On Thursday, a Turkish delegation, representing the Bursa Aerospace and Defense Cluster Association (BASDEC) and Türkiye’s Defense Industry Agency, met PEC Chairman Engr. Waseem Nazir to explore opportunities for joint ventures, co-production, technology transfer and long-term industrial partnerships, according to the APP report.

APP said representatives from fourteen Turkish aerospace and defense firms — including ERFA Torna, Bizpark (Ucaksan), FTS Tasarim, LEVKA, MFK, Milla Otomotiv, ONS Makine, Stamplast, Coskunoz Metal Form, Defense Systems, Rena Mekatronik, ETKA-D Otomotiv, COMIT and BASDEC — “presented their capabilities and explored avenues for collaboration, including Research and Development partnerships, co-production, localized manufacturing, and technology sharing.”

PEC Chairman Nazir briefed the delegation on Pakistan’s regulatory environment, ongoing engineering-sector reforms, digital modernization and efforts to align local industry with global standards. He praised Türkiye’s rapid advances in defense innovation and reaffirmed PEC’s commitment to strengthening international engineering linkages.

Officials from both sides discussed mechanisms for structured cooperation, including professional certification pathways, skill development programs and joint innovation initiatives aimed at supporting future industrial partnerships.

APP said the visit marked “a significant step toward deeper, technology-driven Pakistan–Turkiye engineering relations,” with both sides expressing commitment to expanding long-term aerospace and defense-sector cooperation.


Pakistan PM praises stuntman ‘Sultan Golden’ for breaking record for fastest reverse car driving

Updated 6 sec ago
Follow

Pakistan PM praises stuntman ‘Sultan Golden’ for breaking record for fastest reverse car driving

  • Sultan Muhammad Khan drove one mile in reverse in just 57 seconds to set new world record, local media widely reported
  • Khan previously broke world record for longest motorbike ramp jump in 1987, managing a 249-feet long jump in Lahore

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari praised renowned stuntman Sultan Muhammad Khan, popularly known as “Sultan Golden,” for breaking the world record for fastest reverse driving a car on Saturday. 

As per local media reports, Khan achieved the feat in the capital of Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province Quetta, when he drove one mile in reserve in just 57 seconds. 

“Sultan Golden has made Pakistan proud across the world,” Sharif said in a statement released by his office. 

The Pakistani prime minister said his government is committed to providing all possible facilities in every field of sports. 

Zardari also heaped praise on the stuntman for setting the new world record. 

“He said the achievement reflects the skill, courage and dedication of Pakistanis, strengthening Pakistan’s positive image globally and wished him continued success,” the president’s official X account wrote. 

Khan has been performing stunts since the 1980s in Pakistan, a country where motorsports does not gain traction due to a lack of infrastructure and popularity of other sports such as cricket, football and squash. 

Khan, who hails from the southwestern city of Pasni, earned the nickname ‘Golden’ early on in his youth for his iconic curly golden hair. 

In March 1987, he entered his name in the Guinness Book of World Records when he performed the longest motorbike ramp jump in Lahore. Khan managed a 249-feet long jump, beating the previous record by two feet.