Turkish VP arrives Karachi for PNS Tariq launch

KARACHI: Turkish Vice President (VP) Cevdet Yilmaz arrived in Karachi on Wednesday during his two-day official visit to Pakistan.

As per the media reports, VP Yilmaz was received by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah at Jinnah International Airport.

The reports said that Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif and VP Yilmaz will attend the launching ceremony of the fourth MILGEM Class Corvette PNS Tariq at the Karachi Shipyard on Wednesday.

The MILGEM project, which initiated in 2018, aimed at building four Corvettes for the Pakistan Navy – two to be constructed in Pakistan and two in Turkey.

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In November 2022, the PM attended the launch of the third Naval Corvette, PNS Khyber, in Istanbul.

Earlier, the first two Corvettes, PNS Babur and PNS Badar, were launched in August 2021 and May 2022, respectively, with ceremonies held in Istanbul and Karachi.

According to the media reports, the MILGEM project stands as a lasting symbol of collaboration between Pakistan and Turkey in the naval sector. It represents a tangible step towards achieving self-reliance and indigenization while meeting the vital security requirements of the Pakistan Navy.

Meanwhile, VP Yılmaz’s visit will also include bilateral meetings with PM Sharif and other Pakistani officials to discuss the strategic partnership between Turkey and Pakistan.