ISTANBUL, Nov 9 – Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s four-day working visit to Türkiye has strengthened bilateral relations and opened new opportunities for Malaysia.
The visit ended on Nov 8 after a series of high-level meetings, diplomatic discussions and cooperation agreements.
Ahmad Zahid also attended the TRT World Forum 2026 at the Istanbul Congress Centre on Nov 6. During the forum, he highlighted Malaysia’s position on global issues and explored stronger partnerships in several key sectors.
Malaysia and Türkiye Target US$10 Billion Trade
During his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, both leaders discussed plans to increase trade between the two countries.
Malaysia and Türkiye aim to raise their two-way trade from US$5.51 billion in 2025 to US$10 billion by 2030.
They also explored wider cooperation in investment, defence, technology transfer, education and the halal industry.
In addition, both leaders discussed disaster management and humanitarian developments in Palestine, Lebanon and Syria.
Ahmad Zahid reaffirmed Malaysia’s commitment to strengthening ASEAN-Türkiye relations and expanding cooperation between the regions.
New Opportunities in Technology and Investment
In a separate meeting, Ahmad Zahid and Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz identified several areas with strong investment potential.
These included food and beverage, semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), electrical and electronics, and defence.
Both sides also discussed cooperation in regional development, sustainable cities and rural economic growth.
These partnerships could create new opportunities for Malaysian businesses and support long-term economic development.
Malaysian Universities Sign Cooperation Agreements
Education and skills development also formed an important part of the visit.
On Nov 7, Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) institutions Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) and Universiti Poly-Tech Malaysia (UPTM) signed Letters of Cooperation with two Turkish universities.
The partners are Sabanci University and Yildiz Technical University (YTU).
Through the Sabanci University partnership, both sides will explore joint bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes. They will also consider curriculum development, doctoral pathways and collaborative research.
Meanwhile, the cooperation with YTU will focus on ship design and model testing.
The partnership will use YTU’s wave tank facility to support shallow-water research with UniKL’s Malaysian Institute of Marine Engineering Technology (UniKL MIMET).
Malaysia Explores Maritime Industry Cooperation
The visit also highlighted opportunities in the maritime sector.
During a meeting with Malaysia’s Honorary Consul in Bursa, Datuk Cevdet Sefer, Ahmad Zahid discussed a proposal to establish a ship maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) hub in Bagan Datuk, Perak.
The proposed facility could use Turkish maritime technology to strengthen Malaysia’s ship maintenance capabilities.
Furthermore, Ahmad Zahid held discussions with representatives from the Developing Eight (D-8) Organisation for Economic Cooperation and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
He also outlined Malaysia’s proposal to revive the International Zakat Organisation (IZO), which was established in 2008.
Strengthening Long-Term Malaysia-Türkiye Relations
Overall, the visit reinforced diplomatic ties between Malaysia and Türkiye, which date back to 1964.
It also created opportunities to expand cooperation in trade, education, technology, defence and regional development.
The discussions reflect Malaysia’s efforts to build stronger international partnerships while creating new opportunities for businesses, universities and communities.
Source : BERNAMA | Rewritten By Minutesmy
