Daijiworld Media Network - Ankara
Ankara, May 27: In a move that has raised eyebrows globally, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warmly welcomed Pakistan’s newly-promoted Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Ankara, amid heightened tensions in South Asia following the Pahalgam terror attack in India that left 26 tourists dead.
The attack, linked to Pakistan-based terror outfits and followed by India’s swift military response under Operation Sindoor, has put Islamabad under intense international pressure. In what is widely seen as a desperate image-repair move, Pakistan promoted its army chief to Field Marshal — a rare designation in modern militaries.
Despite international outrage over Pakistan’s alleged involvement in cross-border terrorism, President Erdogan issued a condolence message for the slain Pakistani terrorists, calling them “brothers” and offering prayers. Notably, the message came on the same day globally designated terrorist Hafiz Abdur Rauf led the funeral of the slain terrorists, flanked by senior Pakistani army officers.
Turkey’s alignment with Pakistan has become more pronounced in recent years. During the recent India-Pakistan standoff, Turkey reportedly supplied 300–400 drones to Pakistan, some of which targeted Indian civilian areas. Though Ankara has denied sending military aid, citing routine refuelling stops for its aircraft and a warship docking in Karachi, Indian intelligence and global observers remain skeptical.
At the centre of the diplomatic theatre was a rare scene — Field Marshal Munir participating in high-level bilateral talks usually reserved for civilian leadership. This underlined Rawalpindi's dominance over Pakistan’s foreign policy, sidelining democratic norms.
After the talks, PM Shehbaz Sharif shared a photograph with Erdogan, describing their meeting as “an honour” and thanking the Turkish President for his “resolute support” during the recent standoff with India.
The Turkish-Pakistani leadership pledged to elevate bilateral ties to a "strategic partnership" — a term often associated with defence and nuclear cooperation.
The Pakistani delegation’s ongoing visit to Iran, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Tajikistan from May 25–30 is viewed as Islamabad’s effort to rally support in the region as India ramps up international pressure on Pakistan.
The visit to Tajikistan — north of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir — also signals Pakistan’s south Asia strategy. Meanwhile, Islamabad’s proximity to China was reinforced after a China-mediated agreement reportedly brought Afghanistan on board the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project under Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
As India urges the global community to take tougher stances against states supporting terror, the growing Ankara-Rawalpindi axis is being closely watched for its geopolitical implications in an already volatile region.