ISLAMABAD: Turkish Ambassador Irfan Neziroğlu on Thursday underscored the importance of academic collaboration between Pakistan and Türkiye, describing education and people-to-people exchanges as essential for strengthening the two countries’ historic brotherly relations.
He was speaking at an orientation session hosted at the Turkish Embassy in Islamabad for 166 Pakistani students who have secured fully funded Türkiye Scholarships for 2025. Ambassador Neziroğlu said this year’s intake from Pakistan represents a record high. “Each year, nearly 30,000 students apply for Türkiye Scholarships. We are proud that a record number of Pakistani students will now pursue undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programs in Türkiye,” he remarked.
The envoy added that besides scholarships from Türkiye’s Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB), Pakistani students also benefit from opportunities offered by other institutions, including TÜBİTAK, the Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), and IHH. “At present, around 5,000 Pakistani students are studying in Türkiye, but this figure does not yet reflect the depth of our close ties. We aim to increase it significantly in the coming years,” he said.
Ambassador Neziroğlu emphasized that investing in education was an investment in the future of both nations. “Türkiye supports Pakistani students in every discipline because educational cooperation is a bridge that connects us for generations to come,” he noted. He also welcomed the upcoming cultural visit of 200 outstanding Pakistani students to Türkiye in October and November, arranged on the direction of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Also addressing the ceremony, Mehmet Toyran, Education Counsellor at the Turkish Embassy, highlighted the shared commitment of both nations to promoting literacy and youth development. “Türkiye regards Pakistan’s progress as its own and will continue to back initiatives that expand access to education and opportunities for Pakistani students,” he said.
The event concluded with a briefing and Q&A session led by Dr. Tahir Shah, Secretary at the Education Counsellor’s Office, aimed at preparing the newly selected students for their academic journey in Türkiye.
