ISLAMABAD   -    Prime Minister Sheh­baz Sharif on Friday de­parted here for Turki­ye on a two-day official visit to attend the in­auguration of Turkish President Recep Tayy­ip Erdogan on Saturday.

In the second round of elections held on May 28, President Erdogan received 52.14 percent of the votes, beating his challenger, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who won 47.86 percent.

“Leaving for Türkiye today at the invitation of my brother, H.E. Presi­dent Recep Tayyip Erdo­gan, to attend his inaugura­tion ceremony. I will convey our warmest greetings to the President on behalf of the government and people of Pakistan on his re-elec­tion,” Prime Minister She­hbaz wrote on Twitter be­fore emplaning for Ankara. At the airport, Turkish Am­bassador in Islamabad Dr Mehmet Paçaci saw off the prime minister. In his tweet, the prime minister said the fraternal ties between Paki­stan and Türkiye were set to deepen further in line with their shared resolve and common destiny. He said the upcoming 7th Meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooper­ation Council in Islamabad would provide the right av­enue to take the momen­tum of “our strategic part­nership” forward. “We have yet to unlock the potential of our multifaceted relation­ship and efforts are being made in that direction,” the prime minister commented. During the visit, the prime minister will also interact with the Turkish investors as well as the business com­munity.