Turkey, Pakistan seek to ‘deepen ties’

By Sarp Ozer

ANKARA (AA) – Prime Minister Binali Yildirim and Pakistan’s parliament speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq met late Monday in efforts to strengthen economic ties between the two nations.

“The two sides exchanged views in order to further deepen the ties between Pakistan and Turkey, especially for the development of bilateral trade and economic cooperation,” according to a statement from the Pakistan embassy in Ankara.

The Turkish Prime Ministry’s Press Office released a separate statement that said Yildirim thanked Pakistan’s government and parliament for showing solidarity with Turkey after a deadly failed coup attempt last July in which 249 victims were killed and thousands of others injured.

Sadiq and Turkey’s parliament speaker Ismail Kahraman held a meeting earlier Monday in which they stressed the “close bonds” between the two “friendly countries”.