Record number of Pakistani students head to Türkiye on scholarships: Turkish envoy calls education key to stronger ties

Islamabad: Turkish Ambassador Irfan Neziroğlu on Thursday said that Pakistan and Türkiye must deepen cooperation in the field of education, stressing that academic exchange and people-to-people contacts are vital to strengthening the historic brotherly ties between the two countries. Speaking at an orientation program for 166 Pakistani students awarded Türkiye Scholarships in 2025, held at the Turkish Embassy in Islamabad, Ambassador Neziroğlu highlighted that this year marked a record intake from Pakistan. “Every year, nearly thirty thousand students apply for Türkiye Scholarships, and we are proud that a record number of Pakistani students will now pursue undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral studies in Türkiye on fully funded scholarships,” he said.He noted that in addition to Türkiye Scholarships offered by YTB, Pakistani students also benefit from other opportunities provided by institutions such as TÜBİTAK, the Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), and IHH. “Currently, around 5,000 Pakistani students are studying in Türkiye, but this number does not reflect the depth of our brotherly ties. We want to rapidly increase this number in the near future,” Ambassador Neziroğlu said.Emphasizing education as a bridge between nations, he added: “Türkiye supports Pakistani students in every field because cooperation in education is an investment in our shared future.” The envoy also expressed his satisfaction over the upcoming cultural trip of 200 outstanding Pakistani students to Türkiye in October and November, organized on the instruction of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.Mehmet Toyran, Education Counsellor at the Turkish Embassy, also addressed the gathering, underlining the role of education in strengthening relations and promoting literacy. “Türkiye sees Pakistan’s success as its own, and we will continue to support initiatives that expand access to education and opportunities for Pakistani youth,” he said.The orientation program concluded with a detailed presentation and Q&A session by Dr. Tahir Shah, Secretary of the Education Counsellor’s Office, preparing the selected students for their academic journey in Türkiye.