Türkiye's defense minister meets Pakistani officials in Istanbul

National Defense Minister Yasar Guler held separate talks with Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir in Istanbul on Monday, the ministry said.

Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Selcuk Bayraktaroglu also attended the meetings, which focused on bilateral defense ties ahead of the trilateral gathering, according to statements. The discussions addressed regional security cooperation and preparatory work for the committee session.

Trilateral defense cooperation

The talks preceded the inaugural meeting of the Strategic Political and Defense Committee, established under the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement signed by Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. The committee is scheduled to convene later on Monday.

The agreement provides a framework for trilateral military cooperation between Ankara, Islamabad and Riyadh. Monday's gathering marks the first committee meeting since the defense pact was concluded.