Istanbul (Turkiye Khabar): The commissioning ceremony of Pakistan Navy’s second MILGEM-class corvette, PNS Khyber, was held at Turkey’s Istanbul Naval Shipyard, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as the chief guest. Pakistan Navy Chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf was also present on the occasion.
In his address, President Erdoğan described the relations between Pakistan and Turkey as extraordinary. He stated that strong progress is being made towards self-reliance in the defense industry, noting that Turkey not only fulfills its own naval requirements but also has the capability to provide advanced naval platforms to friendly countries.
He added that the MILGEM corvette built for Pakistan is a practical example of mutual trust, technical collaboration, and strategic partnership. President Erdoğan emphasized that Turkey’s naval industry plays a significant role globally, designing and constructing ships domestically and delivering them to friendly and allied nations—a testament to the maturity of Turkey’s defense sector.
