Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim visits Turkiye to strengthen bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, and security, building on a strategic friendship.
ANKARA: Strengthening bilateral relations will give real meaning to the strategic friendship shared by Malaysia and Turkiye, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said.
He stated his first official visit to the country focuses on substantive discussions to enhance cooperation across various strategic sectors.
His meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will centre on strengthening collaboration in trade, investment, diplomacy, education, security, culture and tourism.
“I regard this visit as very important,” Anwar said in a speech at the ‘Sentuhan MADANI’ programme with the Malaysian Diaspora.
He noted that Erdogan had joked that if Anwar did not come, he would no longer want to be friends, as the Turkish leader had already visited Malaysia.
About 200 Malaysians attended the event, which was also attended by several Malaysian ministers and the ambassador.
Anwar said his visit fulfils Erdogan’s repeated invitations after nearly three years in office as Prime Minister.
He reminded the audience that he had previously visited Turkiye twice, including after the major earthquake.
The Prime Minister also stopped over from Riyadh to meet regional leaders in support of the Palestinian people.
Malaysia’s total trade with Turkiye from January to November 2025 reached RM21.2 billion.
In 2024, Turkiye was Malaysia’s third-largest trading partner and largest export destination among West Asian countries, with total trade valued at RM24.15 billion.
