ISLAMABAD – Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Naveed Ashraf, undertook an official visit to Turkiye, during which he was conferred the prestigious Legion of Merit award by the Turkish Armed Forces. The award was presented by Commander of the Turkish Naval Forces, Admiral Ercument Tatlioglu, in recognition of Admiral Naveed Ashraf’s efforts to strengthen defence ties and maritime cooperation between the two brotherly countries. Upon his arrival at the Turkish Naval Forces Headquarters, Admiral Naveed Ashraf was presented a guard of honour and subsequently called on the Commander of the Turkish Naval Forces, Admiral Ercument Tatlioglu.During the meeting, both the dignitaries discussed matters of professional interest, focusing on enhanced collaboration between the two navies.
The Naval Chief also called on the Minister of National Defence, Yasar Guler; Chief of the General Staff, General Metin Gurak; and Commander of the Turkish Navy Fleet, Admiral Kadir Yildiz. These high-level engagements included discussions on regional maritime security and bilateral defence cooperation.
Admiral Naveed Ashraf emphasized the need for increased interaction between the armed forces through joint exercises, mutual visits, and training and exchange programs. Later, the Naval Chief visited Istanbul Naval Shipyard, where he called on the Commander of the Shipyard and received a detailed briefing on Pakistan Navy’s MILGEM project — a flagship initiative in bilateral defence collaboration.