Turkiye’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Alparslan Bayraktar, arrived in Islamabad on Monday as Pakistan works to strengthen cooperation in energy, petroleum, and mineral exploration.
Federal Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik, Turkish Ambassador Irfan Neziroglu, and senior officials received the minister at the airport.
Bayraktar is leading a high-level delegation. Last week, he said Turkiye plans to sign a new energy agreement with Pakistan covering oil and gas exploration on land and offshore.
“We are preparing to sign an accord for Pakistan’s first deep-sea drilling project,” he told Lider Haber. He added that cooperation will begin with exploration in two onshore blocks and one offshore area.
Meanwhile, Minister Malik met Turkish Ambassador Irfan Neziroglu on Sunday to finalise arrangements for the visit. Secretary Petroleum Momin Agha and OGDCL Managing Director Ahmed Hayat Lak also attended the meeting.
Malik said Pakistan looks forward to hosting the Turkish delegation, adding that the visit will “play a transformational role in boosting cooperation in the energy and mining sectors.”
The meeting reviewed growing collaboration between both countries in energy, petroleum, and minerals. Officials noted that Turkish Petroleum has already joined offshore and onshore exploration in Pakistan, marking a major milestone in bilateral ties.
The ambassador said a leading Turkish mineral-sector company is also part of the delegation, showing Turkiye’s strong interest in investing in Pakistan’s mineral development sector.
Minister Malik said Pakistan’s major exploration companies — OGDCL, PPL, and Mari Energies — are now partnering with Turkish Petroleum (TPAO), creating new opportunities for joint ventures and global cooperation.
Ambassador Neziroglu reaffirmed Turkiye’s commitment to Pakistan, saying there are “many promising areas of cooperation between the two brotherly countries.” He expressed confidence that the visit will further strengthen bilateral relations.
Both sides said they are committed to ensuring a successful visit and turning mutual goodwill into meaningful economic and strategic outcomes.
