ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif left for Turkiye on Friday to attend the inauguration ceremony of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

“Leaving for Turkiye today at the invitation of my brother, President [Recep Tayyip Erdogan], to attend his inauguration ceremony. I will convey our warmest greetings to the President on behalf of the government and people of Pakistan on his re-election,” the PM wrote in a Twitter post before departing on the two-day official visit.

He also hailed the “fraternal ties” between Pakistan and Turkiye which will further deepen “in line with our shared resolve and common destiny”.

“The upcoming 7th Meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council in Islamabad will provide the right avenue to take the momentum of our strategic partnership forward. We have yet to unlock the potential of our multifaceted relationship and efforts are being made in that direction.”

During the visit, PM Shehbaz will also interact with Turkish investors and business leaders.

President Erodgan secured a third term after winning the run-off election last week. He bagged 52.14 per cent of the votes, beating his challenger, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who won 47.86pc.

The swearing-in ceremony for President Erdogan will be held today (Saturday) at the parliament building, according to Turkiye’s Communications Director Fahrettin Altun.

The ceremony will be attended by several world leaders, including the Armenian prime minister, Greece’s foreign minister and Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg, AFP reported.

The Turkish president will also host the world leaders at a dinner after the ceremony.

First lady contacts Turkish counterpart Separately, First Lady Samina Alvi on Friday held a telephonic conversation with her Turkish counterpart, Emine Erdogan, and felicitated her over the victory of President Erdogan.

Ms Alvi highlighted the exemplary brotherly relations between the two countries, a press release issued by the Presidency said.

She expressed the hope that bilateral relations would continue to grow and strengthen through the unwavering solidarity of Pakistani people with the people of Turkiye.

Ms Erdogan thanked the first lady and expressed gratitude for Pakistan’s generous support during the devastating earthquake in Turkiye earlier this year.

Published in Dawn, June 3rd, 2023