Pakistan and Türkiye Push Trade Ties on Basmati and Mangoes

Istanbul (GNP): Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan met Türkiye’s Minister of Trade, Prof. Dr. Ömer Bolat, to discuss wider bilateral trade, Pakistani agricultural exports and Turkish investment in Pakistan. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 42nd Session of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC) of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Both ministers reaffirmed their commitment to stronger commercial relations between the two countries. The talks began with Basmati rice, where Jam Kamal Khan thanked Türkiye for backing Pakistan’s legitimate claims over the product. He stressed that the two sides should keep working together to protect and promote Pakistan’s premium agricultural goods abroad.

Prof. Dr. Bolat responded by pointing to the need for effective marketing and branding of Pakistani Basmati in Türkiye. In his view, a stronger presence on the market and better consumer recognition would help the product grow there.

Mangoes were the next topic. Jam Kamal Khan asked for Türkiye’s help in opening up greater market access for Pakistani mangoes, and the Turkish minister gave his full support to higher imports. He also acknowledged the potential for expanding agricultural trade between the two countries.

The Commerce Minister then turned to investment, inviting Turkish companies to set up industrial units in Pakistan. He pointed to 1,000 acres of land earmarked for Turkish enterprises in Karachi Industrial Park, and encouraged firms to expand their manufacturing and investment footprint there.

As a concrete step, Prof. Dr. Bolat agreed to send a delegation of Turkish officials to Pakistan. The delegation will review existing bilateral trade mechanisms and explore practical measures to improve trade relations further.

Both sides agreed that lasting institutional engagement, stronger business cooperation and closer coordination are needed to turn existing opportunities into real trade and investment results.

On the same sidelines, Jam Kamal Khan also met Zehra Zümrüt Selçuk, Director General of the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC). She briefed him on the centre’s ongoing activities, research initiatives and reports on trade among OIC member states, and on its role in supplying statistics and analysis for economic cooperation.

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The Commerce Minister welcomed the centre’s work and stressed the need for accurate, reliable and clean data in economic research and policy analysis. He said credible statistics and evidence-based assessments are essential for spotting trade trends, understanding markets and judging trade potential among OIC members.

He added that better data and more thorough trade analysis could help member countries find untapped opportunities, tackle trade barriers and shape stronger strategies for intra-OIC trade. Research-based cooperation and dependable trade statistics, he noted, would support informed decisions and deeper economic integration across the OIC region.

Taken together, the two meetings reflect Pakistan’s push to deepen its longstanding ties with Türkiye through trade, agriculture and industrial cooperation. They also show its interest in evidence-based economic cooperation across the OIC.