People in Pakistan and Türkiye often describe each other as “brothers.” The word gets thrown around so much in official statements that it can start to feel like background noise. Yet if you look at the history, whether it’s Türkiye speaking up for Pakistan on international platforms or Pakistan showing support when Türkiye faced hard times, it’s clear the sentiment isn’t empty. The recent visit of Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Güler to Islamabad reminded me of this. It wasn’t just a round of polite handshakes. It felt like both countries were trying to figure out how to make that brotherhood mean something more concrete.
Güler didn’t just meet one or two people. He sat down with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, and Army Chief General Asim Munir. That lineup tells you the visit was being taken seriously. Defence and strategy have always been the backbone of this relationship, and both sides reaffirmed that. But what caught my eye this time was the broader agenda: trade, energy, IT, agriculture, culture, tourism, you name it, it was on the table. It sounds ambitious, maybe even too ambitious, but it’s a sign that neither side wants to keep the relationship boxed into just military cooperation.
What makes these areas interesting is that they aren’t being forced. They make sense. Pakistani students already head to Turkish universities, and Turkish dramas have become household names in Pakistan. Cultural affinity is already there. Same goes for education exchanges and tourism. Pakistan has mountains and coastlines waiting to be developed, while Türkiye has decades of experience turning natural beauty into a world-class industry. If Turkish investors step into Pakistan’s tourism sector, it could be one of those rare cases where both sides win and ordinary people feel the benefits.
Economics is where the promises usually start to wobble. Both sides like to talk about boosting trade and investment, but the reality is the numbers aren’t anywhere close to their potential. Tariffs, shipping costs, and outdated trade rules get in the way. These aren’t the kind of issues that make headlines, but they’re the ones that decide whether trade deals work. If this “multifaceted partnership” is going to mean anything, someone must push through the unglamorous work of fixing those barriers.
Energy and agriculture were also part of the discussion. Pakistan’s constant energy shortages are no secret, and Türkiye has plenty of experience with renewables. That’s an obvious area for cooperation. Agriculture, too, is a shared challenge. Both countries are big producers but struggle with water management and modern farming methods. If they manage to share expertise and technology, it could genuinely make a difference to farmers on both sides. That’s the kind of progress that matters more than any press release.
Of course, defence ties aren’t going anywhere. Joint projects on aircraft and naval tech have been going on for years. In a world where both countries feel boxed in by regional and global politics, it makes sense for them to rely on each other. But for me, the bigger story is whether they can expand beyond that comfort zone. Defence cooperation builds government-level trust, but trade, education, and cultural projects are what build trust among everyday people.
Scepticism is fair here. We’ve all seen grand statements come and go without much follow-up. Yet both countries are at a point where they need this partnership to work. Pakistan is struggling with its economy and needs investment that isn’t tied to IMF conditions. Türkiye has had rocky relations with Europe and the US, so it’s been looking more toward Asia and partners like Pakistan. This isn’t just about symbolic gestures anymore. Both sides have practical reasons to keep leaning on each other.
Tourism, which some might dismiss as secondary, could turn out to be one of the most powerful tools in all this. Pakistan’s landscapes are breathtaking, but its tourism infrastructure is nowhere near what it could be. Türkiye knows how to take heritage, beaches, and mountains and turn them into global attractions. If Pakistan can learn from that playbook, or even better, attract Turkish investment to develop its own sites, the results could be transformative. Jobs, cultural exchange, foreign visitors: that’s the kind of partnership people notice in their daily lives.
So, is this visit a turning point? Maybe. The intent is clearly there, and the timing works for both sides. But the real test will be in the follow-through. If, two or three years down the road, we see trade numbers going up, students moving back and forth more freely, energy projects underway, and maybe even Turkish-backed tourism ventures in Pakistan, then we’ll look back at this visit as more than just another round of official statements. If nothing many changes, then it’ll just be another reminder of how easy it is for leaders to make big promises that quietly fade away.
One thing is certain, though: Pakistan and Türkiye start from a stronger foundation than most international partnerships. When leaders talk about “historic brotherly relations,” it’s not just diplomatic sugarcoating. There’s genuine public goodwill behind it. That’s a rare advantage. The challenge now is to turn that goodwill into results people can see and feel.
