Turkey will provide all support needed to strengthen Pakistan's military infrastructure, president Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan said on Friday.
In a video message sent to the launching ceremony of the third vessel of the MILGEM Ada class corvettes - a joint venture of Turkey and Pakistan, President ErdoÄŸan said: "The production process of all these ships, which are equipped with the most modern weapons and sensor systems developed by our country, continues as planned."
The third vessel, named Badr, was launched at Karachi Dockyard in the Pakistani port city with a ceremony attended by Turkish National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Pakistani Defense Minister Muhammad Israr Tareen, and other officials, daily Sabah reported.
MILGEM vessels are 99-meters (325-feet) long with a displacement capacity of 24,00 tons and can move at a speed of 29 nautical miles. The anti-submarine combat frigates can be hidden from radar.
In July 2018, the Pakistan Navy signed a contract for the acquisition of four MILGEM-class ships with Turkey's state-run defense firm ASFAT. According to the plan, two corvettes will be built in Turkey and the other two will be built in Pakistan, which also involves technology transfer.
President ErdoÄŸan said the deliveries of the ships, which will be able to perform all kinds of military duties from air defense to submarine defense, will be made at six-month intervals starting from August 2023.
With an emphasis on the deep-rooted historical ties between Turkey and Pakistan, ErdoÄŸan said the project is one of the most concrete and recent examples of it, voicing hope for the project to be "a harbinger of greater cooperation."
He said Pakistan is the country with the most strategic location in South Asia. "Throughout history, this region has been the apple of the world's eye with its ancient culture and wealth. Pakistan and its people have a special place for us."
ErdoÄŸan also emphasized the necessity of providing all means of support to strengthen the military infrastructure of Pakistan, "whose security, stability and prosperity we consider equal to ours."
The other vessel of the project, named Kaibar, is to be launched in September in Istanbul.
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