ISLAMABAD: Türkiye’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Alparslan Bayraktar, arrived in Islamabad late on Monday at the head of a high-level delegation, as Pakistan seeks to expand cooperation with Ankara across energy, petroleum and mineral exploration, sectors critical to the country’s economic revival.
The visit comes amid Pakistan’s push to attract foreign investment into its oil, gas and mining sectors to ease severe energy shortages, cut reliance on imported fuels and tap underexplored reserves. Türkiye, meanwhile, has steadily broadened its commercial and strategic footprint in South Asia and already has multiple energy firms operating in Pakistan.
“The visit will play a significant role in enhancing cooperation between the two countries in energy and minerals sectors,” Radio Pakistan reported after Bayraktar was received at Islamabad airport by Pakistan’s Federal Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik, Turkish Ambassador Irfan Neziroglu and senior petroleum-sector officials.
The Turkish minister’s arrival follows his comments last week that Türkiye was preparing to formalize a new energy accord with Pakistan covering both offshore and onshore exploration.
“We’re preparing to sign our accord for Pakistan’s first deep-sea drilling project,” he told reporters. “Our cooperation will begin with exploration work in two onshore blocks and one offshore zone.”
