Turkiye has signaled a deeper push into Pakistan’s mining sector, aiming to forge “long-term, mutually beneficial” partnerships as part of its expanding investment interest.
The development comes as a delegation led by Turkish Energy minister Alparslan Bayraktar met Pakistan’s Petroleum minister Ali Pervaiz Malik in Islamabad on Tuesday to “discuss avenues for deepening cooperation in the oil & gas, and mining sectors”, as a per a statement from the Petroleum Division.
During the meeting, Bayraktar said Turkiye was planning to develop additional ventures in partnership with Pakistan, particularly in oil & gas exploration, energy infrastructure, and the mining sector.
“To achieve our shared goal of $5 billion in bilateral trade, significant contributions will come from deeper collaboration in energy and mining,” he was quoted as saying in the ministry statement.
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Referring to his participation in the Pakistan Minerals Investment Conference, the Turkish minister emphasised that the event demonstrated Pakistan’s vast mineral potential.
“That is why I have brought a Turkish mining company with me,” he said. “It is a milestone for Turkiye to enter the mining sector with Pakistan, and we look forward to building long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships.”
The Turkish delegation was led by Alparslan Bayraktar and included Deputy Minister Ahmet Berat, the Director General of MTIAC, and the Director General of TPAO, along with other senior officials.
During the meeting, the Managing Directors of Mari Energies, Oil & Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL), and Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) gave presentations on their ongoing and planned projects.
They highlighted opportunities for collaboration with Turkish counterparts in oil and gas exploration, mining.
MD OGDC in his presentation briefed the participants about the company’s core business and its diversification into Reko Diq project. The MD also informed about Pakistan’s first shale gas pilot project currently underway and ongoing activities in the tight gas domain, inviting Turkish side to join OGDC’s unconventional hydrocarbon programme both as joint venture partners and technology partners.
It was also decided that the office of Turkish Petroleum would be opened in Islamabad in the current month, where ten Turkish nationals would be working along with local staff.
The two sides also agreed to “explore the concept of adopting a unified approach by incorporating a joint trading company for the procurement of petroleum to meet their respective energy requirements”.
Ministerial delegation from Pakistan to visit Turkiye
During the day, the Turkish delegation called on Pakistan Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif.
“While underscoring the historic and fraternal ties between Pakistan and Turkiye, the prime minister expressed satisfaction at the positive trajectory of bilateral relations and reaffirmed Pakistan’s strong commitment to further expanding cooperation with Türkiye, particularly in the energy sector,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said.
According to the PMO, PM Shehbaz emphasised on the importance of expanding collaboration between Pakistan and Türkiye in energy, petroleum, and mineral sectors.
“He [Shehbaz Sharif] noted with satisfaction that Turkish Petroleum had joined offshore and onshore exploration activities in Pakistan, marking a major milestone in bilateral energy cooperation. He also extended an invitation to Turkish companies to increase their investment footprint in Pakistan’s energy market…
“It was agreed between the two sides that a Ministerial delegation from Pakistan will visit Turkiye soon to explore further cooperation between the two countries especially in the field of energy and power sector,” the PMO said.
On Monday, the government added the Pakistan Minerals Development Corporation (PMDC) to the active privatisation programme after the Privatisation Commission Board approved its inclusion during a review of state-owned enterprises (SOEs).
The PMDC was among three SOEs approved for inclusion in the privatisation programme. Other two include the Saindak Metals Limited (SML) and the National Insurance Company Limited (NICL).
Pakistan has expanded its international push to attract investment in its minerals and mining sectors, with recent engagements with the US, France, Germany, and Turkiye as Islamabad seeks technology, expertise, and long-term partnerships to unlock its resource potential.
In September this year, Pakistan and the US signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) worth $500 million to strengthen cooperation in the critical minerals sector, marking a step toward deeper economic and strategic engagement between the two countries.
Later in October, Pakistan delivered its first batch of rare earth elements and critical minerals to US Strategic Metals (USSM) in the US.
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