President of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed solidarity with the people of Pakistan on Sunday over the loss of lives and financial damages caused by recent monsoon floods, assuring that his government and people stand “shoulder to shoulder” with Pakistan in this difficult time.
More than 700 people have been killed and nearly 1,000 injured in monsoon-related incidents across the country since June 26, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). In Punjab, at least 38 people have died and 750,000 people have been displaced due to recent floods..
Of the total fatalities, at least 356 were reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P). In Karachi, at least 10 people lost their lives as heavy downpours inundated neighbourhoods, crippled traffic and caused widespread power outages, prompting the mayor to declare a rain emergency.
Erdoğan’s remarks came during a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the sidelines of the SCO Council of Heads of State in Tianjin, China.
Read: Shehbaz heads to China for SCO summit
The two leaders reviewed the current state of bilateral relations and voiced satisfaction over the growing momentum in political, economic, defense, and security cooperation.
They also exchanged views on regional and international issues, expressing deep concern over the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the legitimate rights of Palestinians and condemning Israeli aggression and policies of genocide at international platforms.
The meeting underscored the fraternal ties between Pakistan and Türkiye, with both leaders stressing their resolve to further strengthen cooperation for peace, stability, and prosperity in the Muslim world and beyond.
SCO summit
PM Shehbaz reached Tianjin on Saturday to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
The prime minister is accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, and senior government officials. During the summit, the PM is to present Pakistan's perspective on pressing regional and global issues, outlining strategies to strengthen the SCO’s role in fostering cooperation and stability.
Read more: PM looks to China for advanced disaster management technology
Earlier today, the prime minister visited the National Earthquake Simulation Center at Tianjin University, where he said Pakistan was keen to benefit from Chinese expertise to adopt “effective preventive measures and strategies” to better cope with natural calamities.
Shehbaz lauded China’s use of advanced technologies in disaster management, calling them “extremely beneficial” for Pakistan in dealing with natural disasters. He stressed that existing initiatives, including the International Medical Center and the China-Pakistan Joint Lab, should be made more effective while urging greater bilateral cooperation in disaster preparedness.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), founded in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, is a permanent intergovernmental body aimed at fostering political, economic, security, and cultural cooperation, while upholding the “Shanghai Spirit” of mutual trust, equality, and non-alignment.
Its supreme decision-making body is the Council of Heads of State, with the Secretariat in Beijing and the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure in Tashkent serving as permanent institutions.
Today, the SCO includes 10 member states — including Pakistan, India, Iran, and Belarus — alongside two observer states and 14 dialogue partners. The organization has forged partnerships with international and regional bodies such as the United Nations (UN), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), formalized through multiple memoranda of understanding since 2005.
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