ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Turkish air forces reaffirmed their “growing strategic convergence” in defence, aerospace innovation and emerging technologies, the military’s media wing said on Friday.

Air Chief Marshal (ACM) Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, during an official visit to Turkiye, held high-level meetings with Turkish Air Force Commander General Ziya Cemal Kadolu, Defence Minister Yaar Güler, and Baykar Technologies Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Selçuk Bayraktar, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.

During these engagements, ACM Sidhu reaffirmed “the growing strategic convergence and shared commitment of both nations towards enhanced collaboration in defence, aerospace innovation and emerging technologies”.

At the headquarters of the Turkish Air Force, the air chief was accorded a guard of honour. ACM Sidhu “discussed enhancing interoperability through joint exercises, training programmes, and professional exchanges”.

“The Turkish air chief appreciated Pakistan Air Force’s support in training Turkish pilots,” ISPR said.

ACM Sidhu, in his meeting with Güler, “reaffirmed the strong historical and strategic ties between Pakistan and Turkiye,” ISPR stated, adding that the two sides also explored “deeper cooperation in training, capacity building and aerospace collaboration”.

The air chief also met Baykar Tech­nologies CTO Selçuk Bayraktar, where discussions focused on “advancements in aerospace innovation, unmanned aerial systems and emerging technologies”, the military’s media wing said.

ISPR said that the discussion reflected the “shared vision of both sides to pursue greater collaboration in next-generation defence technologies”.

Pakistan and Turkiye share robust bilateral relations spanning across various sectors.

Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2026