Erdogan Pledges Flood Relief to Pakistan in Call with PM Shehbaz; Turkiye Offers Full Support for Rescue, Recovery

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Islamabad — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke by phone with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday to offer condolences and concrete assistance after catastrophic flooding in parts of Pakistan, Radio Pakistan reported.

During the call, President Erdoğan expressed sympathy for families affected by the floods and reaffirmed Turkiye’s solidarity with the Pakistani people in the wake of the widespread destruction. He offered full assistance for ongoing rescue and relief operations, signaling that Ankara is prepared to provide humanitarian aid, technical help and logistical support as required.

Prime Minister Shehbaz thanked the Turkish president for his outreach and described the exchange as a reflection of the “longstanding brotherly ties” between Pakistan and Turkiye. According to officials, Mr. Shehbaz emphasized Pakistan’s appreciation for international offers of help and underlined the importance of rapid, coordinated relief to reach hard-hit communities.

Aid and cooperation: what was offered

While both leaders spoke in broad terms about assistance, the call focused on:

• Immediate humanitarian support for flood-affected populations, including relief supplies and search-and-rescue capabilities.
• Technical cooperation to support logistics and recovery efforts.
• Continued diplomatic coordination as Pakistan assesses damage and prioritizes relief operations.

Officials said the two leaders agreed to maintain close consultations and to follow up face-to-face at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Leaders’ Summit in Tianjin, China, where both will be in attendance. The meeting is expected to provide an opportunity for further discussion on bilateral cooperation and practical next steps.

Strengthening strategic and economic ties

Beyond the urgent relief agenda, Mr. Erdoğan and Prime Minister Shehbaz also reviewed progress on strategic and economic cooperation between Ankara and Islamabad. Over recent years, Pakistan and Turkiye have deepened ties across trade, defense, and infrastructure — ties that both sides said should be leveraged to accelerate reconstruction where needed.

In their call, the leaders reaffirmed intentions to intensify collaboration on projects of mutual benefit and to use high-level meetings such as the SCO summit to map out concrete deliverables.

Domestic response and international outreach

Pakistan’s government continues to coordinate relief efforts with provincial authorities and international partners. Rapid mobilization of national rescue services, temporary shelters, and emergency medical teams has been prioritized in the worst-affected districts. Federal officials are also in the process of documenting damage to homes, roads and agricultural land to compile international aid requests.

International offers of assistance — like the one from Turkiye — are part of a broader diplomatic response, as countries step forward to support Pakistan’s immediate needs and longer-term recovery.

What comes next

Both leaders stressed the importance of ongoing coordination and information-sharing to ensure aid reaches those most in need. With the SCO summit approaching, Pakistan and Turkiye plan to use the summit meeting to finalize any pledges and detailed technical cooperation arrangements.

As rescue operations continue, officials in Islamabad said they will announce additional bilateral and multilateral assistance plans as assessments are completed.

Suggested anchorable external sources to add to the published story (for credibility)

(Replace these suggestions with exact URLs when you publish)

• Radio Pakistan — for the report of the phone call.
• Official statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PM Office, Pakistan) — for direct quotes and follow-up.
• Presidency of Turkiye (Presidential Communications) — for Ankara’s reads on the outreach.
• Local reporting (e.g., Dawn, The Express Tribune) — for on-the-ground damage and provincial responses.
• International relief/UN updates (if available) — for humanitarian context and verified casualty/damage figures.