The military’s media affairs wing said on Friday that the newly commissioned Pakistan Navy ship Khaibar visited a Turkish base and participated in an exercise and joint patrols with the country’s navy.

In a statement, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said, “The newly commissioned, state-of-the-art Pakistan Navy ship Khaibar, during its maiden voyage from Turkiye to Pakistan, visited Aksaz Naval Base, Turkiye, and participated in exercise Turgutreis-XIII and joint patrols with ships of the Turkish Navy.”

The statement said that during the stay at the naval base, the commanding officer of PNS Khaibar called on the Turkish Southern Sea Area commander.

“During the meeting, discussions focused on enhancing bilateral naval cooperation and fostering regional stability through collaborative efforts,” the statement said.

It added that later, the Southern Sea Area commander and the commander of the Aksaz Naval Base, along with other Turkish naval forces officers, visited PNS Khaibar.

After the port visit, the Pakistan Navy ship participated in the bilateral exercise Turgutreis-XIII with Turkish naval forces ship TCG Heybeliada and a SH-70 helicopter.

“The exercise featured a variety of sea evolutions to rehearse joint maritime operations and enhance interoperability. Upon culmination of the exercise, PNS Khaibar and TCG Heybeliada conducted a coordinated patrol in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea,” he said.

The statement said that the successful conduct of the bilateral exercise Turgutreis-XIII and the coordinated patrol stood as a “testament to the enduring strategic partnership and brotherly ties shared between Pakistan and Turkiye”.