Turkiye-Malaysia Target On Doubling Trade, Boost Defence And Tech Cooperation

By Noor Bakthtiar Ahmad

KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 (Bernama) -- Turkiye is working to strengthen its multifaceted cooperation with Malaysia particularly in trade, defence and technology.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the current trade volume between both countries has surpassed US$5 billion, with Türkiye aiming to double that figure.

“Our trade volume is actually not reflecting the level of our friendship. We have just exceeded US$5 billion.

"Our target is, the immediate target is to reach US$10 billion,” he said during an exclusive interview on The Nation: Diplomatic Dispatch, titled "Malaysia, Turkiye and the ASEAN Outlook", produced by Bernama TV and aired on Friday.

Fidan attributed the close personal ties between Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as a key driver of bilateral cooperation, saying their strong relationship has created a conducive environment for advancing joint initiatives.

“Our leaders are extremely close friends. Their closeness and good relations are really providing us a big umbrella, a cover, to advance our agenda together,” he said.

He also identified defence industry collaboration and microelectronics as promising areas of joint investment.

“I know our defence industry companies, the big ones, they've been trying to explore the opportunities in terms of technology cooperation. I think this is one good area,” he said.

On the topic of technology, Fidan noted that Malaysia holds a competitive advantage, positioning it as a valuable partner in this sector.

"This is what we really envy. This is what we are trying to really benefit from,” he said.

Fidan also proposed strengthening government-to-government cooperation in key areas such as renewable and traditional energy, highlighting potential collaboration through entities such as Petronas and Turkiye’s state-owned energy firms.

He is currently in Kuala Lumpur for high-level talks held in conjunction with the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) and related meetings.

Turkiye has been an ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partner since 2017.

The 58th AMM and related meetings, which began on Tuesday, are being held under Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship for 2025, with the theme “Inclusivity and Sustainability”.

More than 1,500 delegates from ASEAN and its external partners are participating in 24 ministerial-level meetings over the course of four days.

-- BERNAMA