PM Anwar says trust with President Erdogan drives Malaysia-Turkiye cooperation, aiming for US$10 billion trade and collaboration in defence and tech.
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the close relationship between Malaysia and Turkiye is strengthened by long-standing trust between their leaders.
He said this foundation of trust and mutual respect enables more effective cooperation on key economic and diplomatic initiatives.
“President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been a close personal friend during all these years of trials and tribulations, up and down, he remained a true friend,” Anwar said in an interview with Turkish broadcaster TRT World.
The Prime Minister undertook a three-day official visit to Turkiye this week at President Erdogan’s invitation.
Anwar emphasised that while personal ties help diplomacy, the focus must be on translating them into meaningful public benefit.
He identified trade and investment as the backbone of bilateral relations, with both sides working to increase volumes.
“Our target is of course to reach US$10 billion but it’s still relatively small for a big economy like Turkiye and also the emerging force in Malaysia,” he stated.
Anwar described Turkiye as pivotal in helping Malaysia and ASEAN penetrate new markets beyond the region.
He highlighted Turkiye’s strengths in defence technology, research, and education as areas for complementary cooperation.
On foreign policy, Anwar said Malaysia pursues a balanced approach, engaging with all major powers without aligning with a single bloc.
“Malaysia has benefitted immensely from American presence, trade, and investments. It’s still number one,” he noted.
He added that Malaysia is also strengthening engagement with China as an important regional player.
“So we have to navigate this wisely. It’s not a zero-sum game,” Anwar stressed.
Malaysia’s total trade with Turkiye from January to November 2025 amounted to RM21.2 billion.
In 2024, Turkiye was Malaysia’s third-largest trading partner among West Asian countries, with total trade valued at RM24.15 billion.
