Turkish chief of Naval Staff meets Pakistani counterpart in Islamabad

By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD (AA) - Turkish Navy Chief of Staff Vice Adm. Ibrahim Ozdem Kocer on Saturday met with Adm. Naveed Ashraf, his Pakistani counterpart, in the capital Islamabad, officials said.

A Turkish naval delegation led by Kocer visited naval headquarters for the 6th Pakistan Navy-Turkish Navy Expert-Level Staff Talks, said Pakistan’s Navy in a statement.

Upon his arrival, Kocer was received by Vice Adm. Ovais Ahmed Bilgrami, the vice chief of Naval Staff.

Later Kocer called on Ashraf and they discussed professional matters of common interest.

Kocer praised Pakistani naval contributions to collaborative security through various initiatives, including the Combined Task Forces 150 and 151, the multinational exercise AMAN, and Regional Maritime Security Patrols, it said.

During the staff talks, wide-ranging matters related to operations, training, and technical domains were discussed. The visiting delegation praised the strong bilateral relations and discussed further opportunities for collaboration.

On Friday, the navies of Pakistan and Türkiye conducted joint naval drills in the north Arabian Sea.