PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia and Turkiye have agreed to deepen cooperation in tourism and culture through the creation of favourable conditions that could attract more Turkish and Malaysian tourists to their respective countries.
In a joint statement issued today, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan acknowledged the importance of cooperation in tourism and culture between the two countries.
“Additionally, Malaysia extended a warm welcome to Turkish travellers to visit Malaysia in conjunction with the ‘Visit Malaysia 2026’ initiative,” the statement said.
Both leaders also decided to increase cooperation on civil aviation matters to contribute to tourism, people-to-people contacts and trade relations.
Besides tourism, both leaders emphasised the importance of fostering people-to-people connections through exchange programmes between institutions of higher education and research institutes.
They agreed that these exchanges would help deepen mutual understanding and enhance academic and research collaboration between their nations.
Both sides expressed their support for the establishment of a Joint Committee between Turkiye and Malaysia in the field of higher education.
The leaders also supported initiatives aimed at establishing schools to enhance cooperation in the field of secondary education.
In the area of health, medical sciences and medical devices, both leaders reaffirmed their intention to pursue collaboration opportunities.
Furthermore, Malaysia and Turkiye agreed to explore opportunities for cooperation on Zero Waste practices, through the exchange of knowledge and best practices in waste management, recycling and the circular economy.
“Both sides aim to enhance technical capacity and share best practices in the development and implementation of Zero Waste policies,” it said.
Recognising the importance of disaster management, both leaders welcomed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Disaster and Emergency Management.
“The leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation in this field by implementing activities under the MoU, including technical training and expertise exchange in search and rescue, as well as collaborative humanitarian relief efforts,” the statement read.
Agricultural cooperation was also a key topic of discussion, with both leaders expressing their intention to strengthen ties in this field through technical meetings, visits and training programmes.
Meanwhile, Erdogan, in a joint press conference with Anwar, said both sides have reached an agreement on the implementation of a joint committee between the Ministry of Education of both countries.
“We have also stated that we are determined to strengthen our ties with the largest Yunus Emre Turkish Cultural Center in the region and our Malaysian brothers through the Turkeyi-Malaysia Foundation,” he said.
Erdogan said Turkiye companies are also ready to share their experiences and products with Malaysia in a way that will benefit both countries.
“In the meetings we just completed, we evaluated our relations in various areas such as industry, technology, energy, tourism, culture and education.
“We have confirmed our joint will in the area of tourism. We are pleased with Malaysia’s interest in our country. We want to welcome our brothers more in Turkiye,” he said.
Erdogan arrived in Malaysia on Monday for a two-day official visit, accompanied by First Lady Emine Erdogan.
