ISLAMABAD: Turkish Ambassador Irfan Neziroglu on Thursday said that Pakistan and Turkiye should deepen cooperation in the field of education, stressing that academic exchange and people-to-people contacts were vital to strengthening the historic brotherly ties between the two countries.

Speaking at an orientation programme for 166 Pakistani students awarded Turkiye scholarships in 2025, held at the Turkish embassy, Ambassador Neziroglu said that this year marked a record intake from Pakistan.

“Every year, nearly thirty thousand students apply for Turkiye scholarships, and we are proud that a record number of Pakistani students will now pursue undergraduate; master’s and doctoral studies in Turkiye on fully funded scholarships,” he said.

He noted that in addition to Turkiye scholarships offered by YTB, Pakistani students also benefit from other opportunities provided by institutions such as TUBITAK, the Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) and IHH.

“Currently, around 5,000 Pakistani students are studying in Turkiye, but this number does not reflect the depth of our brotherly ties. We want to rapidly increase this number in the near future,” Ambassador Neziroglu said.

Emphasising education as a bridge between nations, he added, “Turkiye supports Pakistani students in every field because cooperation in education is an investment in our shared future.” He also expressed his satisfaction over the upcoming cultural trip of 200 outstanding Pakistani students to Türkiye in October and November, organised on the instruction of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Mehmet Toyran, Education Counsellor at the Turkish embassy, also underlined the role of education in strengthening relations and promoting literacy.

“Turkiye sees Pakistan’s success as its own, and we will continue to support initiatives that expand access to education and opportunities for Pakistani youth,” he said.

The orientation programme concluded with a detailed presentation and question and answer session by Dr Tahir Shah, Secretary of the Education Counselor’s Office, preparing the selected students for their academic journey in Turkiye.

Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2025