KARACHI, JUL 9 /DNA/ – The President of the ECO Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ECO CCI) and FPCCI Atif Ikram Sheikh, has proposed convening a Pakistan–Türkiye Joint Business Meeting under the auspices of ECO CCI in collaboration with the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI) and the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB). The proposal has been formally conveyed to TOBB as a follow-up to the recent meeting between the Prime Minister of Pakistan and the President of the Republic of Türkiye in Istanbul, during which the two leaders agreed to enhance bilateral trade to US$5 billion.
Atif Ikram Sheikh stated that the leadership of both countries has provided a clear direction for strengthening economic and commercial relations, and it is now the responsibility of the private sectors of Pakistan and Türkiye to complement these efforts through stronger business-to-business engagement, investment partnerships, and institutional cooperation.
He observed that despite the longstanding brotherly relations between the two countries, bilateral trade remains significantly below its true potential. During 2025, Pakistan’s exports to Türkiye amounted to US$369.2 million, while imports from Türkiye stood at US$ 866.5 million, taking the total bilateral trade to US$1.236 billion. He emphasized that these figures clearly indicate substantial untapped opportunities for trade expansion and diversification.
The ECO CCI & FPCCI President noted that Pakistan’s principal exports to Türkiye include rice, textile yarn and fabrics, garments, leather and leather products, sports goods, surgical instruments, carpets, and agricultural products. Türkiye, on the other hand, exports machinery, iron and steel products, chemicals, electrical equipment, plastics, processed food products, and construction materials to Pakistan. He stressed that both countries possess strong industrial and commercial complementarities that can be leveraged to substantially increase bilateral trade and investment.
Atif Ikram Sheikh further stated that the proposed Pakistan–Türkiye Joint Business Meeting would bring together leading businessmen, exporters, investors, and sectoral associations to identify new avenues of cooperation, facilitate joint ventures, strengthen supply chain linkages, and promote investment in sectors of mutual interest. He added that the meeting would also provide an opportunity to formulate practical recommendations for achieving the bilateral trade target set by the leadership of the two countries.
He underscored that Pakistan and Türkiye are prominent members of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), also work closely under the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Development (ICCD), the D-8 Chamber of Commerce and Industry and CACCI. He expressed confidence that these regional platforms could play a vital role in promoting greater economic integration, trade facilitation, and private sector collaboration.
Atif Ikram Sheikh expressed optimism that through coordinated efforts of ECO CCI, TOBB, and FPCCI, the business communities of both countries would make a meaningful contribution towards translating the vision of their leaders into concrete economic outcomes and establishing a stronger and more dynamic Pakistan–Türkiye economic partnership
