On December 1, 2021, the Center for Security, Strategy and Policy Research (CSSPR) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with an Ankara-based think tank, the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA). The MoU was signed by Director, CSSPR, Dr. Rabia Akhtar, and General Coordinator, SETA, Prof. Burhanettin Duran. The Memorandum will allow both think tanks to collaborate on research projects, organize conferences and dialogues, and facilitate scholarly exchanges. Dr. Akhtar and Dr. Duran stressed that both think tanks can learn from the strengths and expertise of each other, with a view to giving policymakers in Ankara and Islamabad quality, research-rich, data-driven, and viable policy choices, to not only take Pak-Turk ties forward but also to reinvigorate the roles of both countries in fostering strategic connectivity in the region and beyond. Both agreed that there are many avenues for cooperation given that CSSPR and SETA bring a multitude of strengths to the table. Both Centers committed to increasing academic and intellectual cooperation. Providing this academic impetus through joint research, they argued, has become all the more important because the evolving regional security architecture requires actors to come up with new approaches at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels. Emphasizing the importance of translating strong mutual affinities into strategic handshakes between Ankara and Islamabad, both said initiatives like this will be helpful. Further, they agreed to conduct research, with a view to exploring conduits of tangible partnerships between the two countries. They reiterated that absent an intellectual stimuli, Pakistan and Turkey cannot be expected to figure out the true potential of their relations for regional peace, stability, and prosperity.
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