Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah’s Turkiye visit strengthens decades of defence, trade and cultural ties between Malaysia and Turkiye
KUALA LUMPUR: Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah, Queen of Malaysia’s recent departure to Turkiye marks the latest chapter in the close bilateral relations with Malaysia.
According to a post on Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar’s Facebook page, the close relationship between Malaysia and Turkiye has witnessed good cooperation in the fields of defence, trade and international Islamic diplomacy.
The relationship between the state of Johor and Turkiye has its own unique history.
“The Modern Johor Sultanate, founded by the late Sultan Abu Bakar around the mid-19th century, was greatly influenced by foreign administrative systems due to international diplomatic relations, which became one of His Majesty’s extraordinary skills,” according to the post.
The statement also mentioned that it is well-known that British influence was applied to the governance and administration system of the state of Johor as a result of Sultan Abu Bakar’s close friendship with Queen Victoria.
However, there was another significant influence that actually inspired the shift towards modernisation of the Johor state administration at that time.
As an Islamic kingdom, the Johor Sultanate also established close relations with the Ottoman Empire in Istanbul, which was undergoing the “Tanzimat” (modernisation) era at that time.
Sultan Abu Bakar travelled to Istanbul twice, first in 1879 and then in 1893, where he was received with recognition and full respect.
According to the statement, Johor uses Istanbul as an example to understand the development of modernisation amidst the pressures of Western colonisation, while continuing to maintain cultural autonomy and Malay Islamic identity.
The governance and administration of the Ottoman Empire made significant contributions to the formation of the government and legal system of the Modern Johor Sultanate through the Ahkam Johor magazine.
In fact, it also influenced the drafting of the Johor State Constitution of 1895, the first written constitution enacted in Malaya.
The state flag of Johor, which is still in use today and was designed by Sultan Abu Bakar in 1871, also reflects the influence and close friendship with the Ottoman Empire, and became a strategic symbol of Johor’s sovereignty at that time to Western colonisers.
“This relationship has grown deeper than just a diplomatic relationship as it has also developed through family ties and the sharing of cultural heritage that can still be seen today,” the statement continued.
According to the post, the statement was adapted from the writings of the director of the Graduate School and Professor of the Department of History at the Faculty of Arts, Istanbul Medeniyet University, Professor Dr. Ismail Hakki Kadi and Dr. Yakoob Ahmed, who are independent researchers and former associate professors at the Institute of Islamic Studies from Istanbul University.
