Turkey and Pakistan have agreed to let Turkish companies carry out oil and natural-gas exploration in Pakistan’s offshore waters, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced at a joint press conference with his Pakistani counterpart Muhammad Ishaq Dar in Islamabad on 9 July. The cooperation stems from an April 2025 accord between state-owned Turkish Petroleum Corporation and three Pakistani energy firms—Mari Energies, Oil and Gas Development Company and Pakistan Petroleum. The partners plan to submit joint bids for up to 40 blocks in the Makran and Indus offshore basins, marking the first time Turkish companies will operate in Pakistan’s offshore acreage. Fidan said the deal is part of a broader push to expand economic ties, with Ankara and Islamabad aiming to lift bilateral trade to about $5 billion and deepen collaboration in mining, rare-earth elements, defence and infrastructure. Dar added that Turkish firms are also expected to participate in Pakistan’s power-sector privatisation and in a planned special economic zone for Turkish investors.