On Monday, Lieutenant General Veli Tarakci, Chief of General Staff (CGS) of the Turkish Land Forces, met with General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), at GHQ and commended the professionalism of the Pakistan Armed Forces, pledging to expand cooperation in other domains. According to an Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) media statement, issues of regional security, mutual and professional interest, with a special emphasis on defense and security partnership between the two fraternal countries, were discussed during the discussion. “We highly appreciate our fraternal connections with Turkey, which are profoundly based in history and ingrained in our cultural and religious affinities,” the COAS stated. The COAS highlighted the importance of peace and reconciliation initiatives in Afghanistan. He emphasized the need for sincere international efforts to avert a humanitarian crisis. Both sides agreed to further optimize military to military ties particularly in training and counter-terrorism domains. The visiting dignitary also praised Pakistan’s role in Afghan situation, special efforts for border management and role in regional stability.