Yilmaz arrived in Islamabad the day before to attend the ceremony to be held at the Karachi Shipyard, diplomatic sources said.

The construction of the vessels is part of the Milgem project, which brought to life the agreement signed in 2018 between Military Factory and Shipyard Management Corporation of Türkiye and Pakistan’s Ministry of National Defense Ammunition Production.

Türkiye’s then defense minister, Nurettin Canikli, called the deal Türkiye’s largest defense export in a single agreement, according to Naval news.

The contract called for the construction of two corvettes in Türkiye and two at Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works, as well as provisions for the transfer of design rights and construction methods from Türkiye to Pakistan, according to the trade media.

The ships are capable of all kinds of military tasks, from air to submarine defense, the source said.

The Pakistani Foreign Ministry stressed that the Milgem project represents an enduring symbol of Pakistan-Türkiye collaboration in the maritime domain, and a tangible step towards self-reliance and meeting the critical security needs of the nation’s Navy.

Both nations enjoy deep-rooted fraternal ties characterized by frequent exchanges at the leadership level, common views on regional and global issues and strengthened cooperation in all areas of mutual interest, he ratified.

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