ANKARA, 9 May 2016: A 20-member delegation of National Defence University (NDU), headed by Air Commodore Shoaib Akbar Khan, has concluded its foreign study tour to Turkey. Members of the delegation included participants of National Security and War Course drawn from the Pakistan armed forces and civil services as well as from some Middle Eastern and South Asian countries.
During its visit to the Pakistan Embassy, the delegation was briefed on growing cooperation in the multi-faceted Pakistan-Turkey relationship. Ambassador Sohail Mahmood underlined in particular that efforts were underway to transform the excellent brotherly ties into a strong economic partnership.
As part of the study tour, the NDU delegation visited the Turkish Air Force Headquarters, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Undersecretariat for Defence Industries, and the Centre of Excellence for Defence Against Terrorism. During broad interaction at these institutions, the focus was on bilateral cooperation as well as regional and international environment.
During its stay in Istanbul, the NDU delegation visited the Turkish War Academies, and was briefed about the training profile. The delegation also had interaction with scholars at Turkey’s renowned think-tank Wise Men Centre for Strategic Studies (BILGESAM).
NDU is one of Pakistan’s premier training institutions. It is renowned as a center of excellence in academic and research pursuits providing policy inputs on national security at strategic level and defence and acting as a national think tank.