Türkiye, Malaysia vow to deepen defense ties, hit $10 bln trade target

ISTANBUL

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Jan. 7 pledged to deepen defense ties and push bilateral trade toward a $10 billion goal following high-level diplomatic talks in the Turkish capital Ankara.

The leaders met at the presidential complex to chair the inaugural session of the high-level strategic cooperation council between Türkiye and Malaysia. During the summit, the two nations signed a series of agreements spanning shipbuilding, investment and technology.

“We had earlier set a trade volume target of $10 billion, and I sincerely believe that through joint efforts we can reach this goal,” Erdoğan said during a joint news conference.

Erdoğan said that the defense industry remains a cornerstone of the partnership. He noted that both nations would continue evaluating joint projects based on a "win-win principle" to bolster their respective military capabilities.

The agreements included a memorandum of understanding for the procurement of a multipurpose mission vessel and a joint declaration officially establishing the Strategic Cooperation Council. Other deals focused on export financing, higher education and information and communication technologies.

Ibrahim praised the Turkish president's influence, particularly regarding issues affecting the Muslim world. He described Erdoğan as “a courageous leader and the voice of conscience.”

The leaders also discussed regional and international developments, with Erdoğan noting that the two countries maintain similar stances on many global challenges. As a gesture of the strengthening ties, Erdoğan announced that Ibrahim would be awarded Türkiye’s Order of the Republic.

“Our long-standing friendship, rooted in shared historical ties, will continue to grow through concrete cooperation,” Erdoğan said.