The Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BTSO) carried out the Pakistan Sectoral Trade Delegation Programme in order to take the deep-rooted fraternal relations between Turkey and Pakistan to a more advanced level in the fields of space, aviation and the defence industry. Within the scope of the programme held in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, with the support of the Ministry of Trade, new cooperation opportunities in defence industry, aviation technologies and strategic investments between the two countries were discussed.
Within the framework of the programme, BTSO Defence Industry and Aviation Council Chairman Aptullah Saner, Bursa Space Aviation Defence Cluster (BASDEC) Board Chairman Dr Mustafa Hatipoğlu, and a delegation consisting of BASDEC member companies held high-level and comprehensive meetings in Pakistan.
High-Level Ministerial Meetings
The BTSO and BASDEC delegation met with Pakistan’s Minister for Communications and Turkey–Azerbaijan Investment Abdul Aleem Khan, Minister of Commerce Jam Kamal Khan, Minister of Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar Khan, and Minister of Tourism and Infrastructure Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan. During the meetings, joint project and investment opportunities in strategic areas, particularly defence and aviation industries, were evaluated.
The delegation also continued its contacts with the umbrella organisations of Turkey–Pakistan economic cooperation. In this context, meetings were held with Umar Qureshi, President of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), and Vice President Qurrat-ul-Ain.
Military Facilities and R&D Centres Visited
Within the scope of the programme, Pakistan’s leading technical universities, the National University of Science and Technology (NUST), was visited, and comprehensive meetings were also held at the Turkish Aerospace Pakistan (TAI–Pakistan) office. TAI Pakistan Director Muhammad Sohail Sajid delivered a detailed presentation on the design, engineering and prototype studies carried out within the scope of Turkey’s national aviation projects KAAN and HÜRJET.
The BTSO and BASDEC delegation also conducted inspections at Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT), the armoured vehicle and tank production centre of the Pakistan Army; Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF), which plays a critical role in weapons and ammunition production; and the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) Kamra facilities affiliated with the Pakistan Air Force. The delegation also met with members of the Pakistan Engineering Council and the Pakistan Aviation Council and held inter-company B2B meetings.
“Pakistan Offers Major Business Opportunities”
BTSO Defence Industry and Aviation Council Chairman Aptullah Saner stated that the visit was carried out with the highest level of protocol and close interest at all meetings. Noting that the four-day programme was extremely productive, Saner made the following assessment:
“We met with the Ministers of Industries and Production, Communications, Tourism and Commerce in Pakistan. We held meetings and B2B discussions with the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, and the Aviation and Engineering Councils. We visited universities, R&D centres, and aircraft, armoured vehicle and weapons production facilities. Throughout the entire programme, our Presidency of Defence Industries and our Embassy officials accompanied us.”
Drawing attention to Pakistan’s significant potential with its population of 251 million, Saner emphasised that there are serious opportunities not only in defence and aviation, but also in the construction, food, tourism, metal and machinery sectors.
Concrete Projects on the Table
BASDEC Board Chairman Dr Mustafa Hatipoğlu stated that the visits to military facilities, which are normally inaccessible, clearly demonstrated the level of trust between the two countries. Emphasising that R&D activities in Pakistan are at an advanced level, Hatipoğlu said that NUST is an important example in this field.
Hatipoğlu noted that mutual cooperation is possible in areas such as the aircraft industry, ammunition and weapons production, drone technologies, machinery, moulds and fixtures, airport ground handling equipment, as well as component and semi-finished product manufacturing. He announced that COMIT’s electronic mine detector sales and UÇAKSAN’s kamikaze drone production projects are at the negotiation stage.
Positive Feedback from Companies
COMIT Engineering General Manager Fatih Mestan stated that they received positive feedback from four different ministries in Pakistan regarding the export of electronic mine detectors. ERFA Machinery Board Chairman Faruk Onan said that the visit was more productive than expected and that they believe the foundations of strategic cooperation have been laid. UÇAKSAN Board Chairman Emre Balcı stated that concrete work would begin in a short time.
