The commissioning ceremony of Pakistan Navy’s second MILGEM-class ship, PNS Khyber, was held at the Istanbul Naval Shipyard in Türkiye, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attending the event as chief guest, according to official statement.
Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf was also present at the ceremony. Addressing the gathering, President Erdoğan described Pakistan-Türkiye relations as brotherly and exemplary, and emphasised the need to further expand cooperation in the field of defence production in the future.
Speaking on the occasion, Admiral Naveed Ashraf acknowledged the professionalism and dedication of ASFAT, Istanbul Naval Shipyard and other companies involved in the planning, design and construction of the PN MILGEM-class ships. He praised the strong defence partnership between Pakistan and Türkiye.
The naval chief said bilateral engagements between the Pakistan Navy and the Turkish Navy were playing a vital role in strengthening defence cooperation and reflected the depth and sustainability of the partnership between the two countries.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, President Erdoğan visited PNS Khyber, where he was presented with a guard of honour and met the ship’s crew.
During the visit, President Erdoğan and Admiral Naveed Ashraf also discussed the regional maritime security environment and explored opportunities for future joint initiatives between the Pakistan Navy and Turkish naval forces.
PN MILGEM-class ships are equipped with advanced technologies, including modern command and control systems, weapons and sensors. The contract for the construction of four MILGEM-class ships for Pakistan was signed in 2018 between Pakistan’s Ministry of Defence Production and ASFAT of Türkiye. Under the agreement, two ships were to be built in Türkiye and two in Pakistan.With the commissioning of PNS Khyber, the construction phase of both ships in Türkiye has now been successfully completed, officials said.
