Kuala Lumpur: Turkiye aims to strengthen relations with Malaysia by focusing on technological cooperation and joint production, said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He noted that Turkiye’s relationship with Malaysia was elevated to the ‘strategic partnership’ level in 2014 and advanced to a ‘comprehensive strategic partnership’ in 2022, underscoring the deepening ties between the two countries.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Erdogan highlighted the importance of Malaysia as a key partner in the region, citing its population of nearly 35 million, dynamic economy, and qualified human resources as strategic advantages. “As befitting the deep-rooted and close relations between our peoples, we started to strengthen our cooperation with concrete steps,” Erdogan stated during a public lecture where he was awarded an honorary doctorate in International Relations by Universiti Malaya (UM).

Erdogan arrived in Malaysia today for a two-day official visit, accompanied by First Lady Emine Erdogan. Their arrival was warmly received by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail at the Bunga Raya Complex of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Sepang.

Commenting on the cooperation established between Turkiye and Malaysia, Erdogan noted that Turkish Aviation Industries has created job opportunities for more than 100 young Malaysian engineers. He also mentioned ongoing projects, such as the construction of the second batch of littoral mission ships by Turkiye and significant cooperation on the Anka-S unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).