PM Shehbaz meets Turkish FM in Antalya ahead of diplomatic forum

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday held an early meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan shortly after landing in Antalya on Thursday, who thanked him for participating in the upcoming Antalya Diplomacy Forum and said President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan looked forward to meeting the Pakistani prime minister on the sidelines of the event, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

According to a statement issued by the PMO, Fidan visited the prime minister upon his arrival. Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Foreign Minister (FM) Ishaq Dar along with Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) Syed Tariq Fatemi were also present during the meeting.

Prime Minister Shehbaz expressed his gratitude for the hospitality extended by the Turkish leadership, describing Turkiye as his “second home” and calling it a pleasure to visit the country.

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The prime minister is scheduled to participate in the fifth Antalya Diplomacy Forum, which will include a panel of leaders titled “Mapping tomorrow, managing uncertainties” where he will present Pakistan’s perspective on key global challenges.

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The prime minister is on a three-nation tour until Friday, having previously visited Saudi Arabia and Qatar as Pakistan continues its diplomatic engagement amid efforts to help address the Middle East crisis affecting the entire region.

According to a statement from the PMO, upon his arrival in Antalya, he was warmly received by Governor Hulusi Şahin, who welcomed the prime minister and his delegation at the airport.

He will also attend the forum’s opening ceremony and is expected to meet with President Erdoğan and other world leaders during the event, which brings together policymakers to discuss pressing international issues.

A day earlier, the prime minister had arrived in Saudi Arabia, where he met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah and expressed deep gratitude for Saudi Arabia’s continued support in strengthening Pakistan’s economic stability.

“The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen what was described as an ‘enduring partnership’ between Islamabad and Riyadh,” a PMO statement read.

The prime minister then stopped in Qatar as part of his three-nation tour, where he met Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar and urged de-escalation and dialogue for peace in the Middle East.

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The PMO said the two leaders also reviewed bilateral relations and explored ways to further strengthen ties, particularly in the fields of security, defense and energy, in a way that enhances the partnership and opens new avenues of cooperation.

The prime minister’s meeting with the Qatari emir came four days after the United States and Iran were unable to reach an agreement to end their war despite marathon negotiations that lasted around 21 hours. The protracted talks, aimed at stopping hostilities that have killed thousands of people and sent global oil prices soaring over the past six weeks, ended with both sides blaming each other for the stalemate.

On April 11, delegations from the United States and Iran arrived in Pakistan for conclusive talks following an immediate two-week ceasefire “everywhere, including Lebanon,” announced by Prime Minister Shehbaz, who later invited delegations from both countries to Islamabad.

The United States and Israel launched a joint offensive against Iran on February 28, killing thousands of people in Iran, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and leaving tens of thousands injured, including civilian areas, including residential buildings and religious sites.

The conflict also expanded geographically. Iran retaliated with drone and missile attacks against Israel, as well as Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries hosting US military assets. It also restricted the movement of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.