Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Arrives In Istanbul For Four-Day Working Visit To Turkiye

ISTANBUL, Nov 5 – Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi arrived in Istanbul on Thursday, November 5, 2026, to begin a four-day working visit to Turkiye, which runs through November 8.

The special aircraft carrying Ahmad Zahid and his wife, Datin Seri Hamidah Khamis, landed at Istanbul Airport at 3:30 AM local time (8:30 AM Malaysian time). They were received on arrival by the Malaysian Ambassador to Turkiye, Adlan Mohd Shaffieq.

A primary highlight of the visit is Ahmad Zahid’s participation in the TRT World Forum 2026. On Friday, he is scheduled to receive a courtesy call from the President of Turkiye’s Council of Higher Education, Prof. Dr. Erol Ozvar, before attending the forum’s opening ceremony at the Istanbul Congress Centre (ICC), which will be officiated by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Ahmad Zahid, who also serves as Minister of Rural and Regional Development, will join a panel discussion titled “Turkiye: From Regional Power to Multi-Regional Actor”. Staged under the theme “A World Without a Centre: Who Leads When the Rules Run Out?”, the TRT World Forum 2026 gathers political leaders, policymakers, academics, media professionals, and civil society representatives to address pressing global issues.

Prominent Malaysians who have previously participated in the forum include Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (2018 and 2019), former International Trade and Industry Minister Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz (2019), and public health expert Prof. Tan Sri Dr. Jemilah Mahmood (2020).

On November 7, Ahmad Zahid is scheduled to deliver a lecture at Ibn Haldun University and hold discussions with the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA) on key geopolitical and geoeconomic matters. His itinerary also includes bilateral talks with his Lebanese counterpart, Tarek Mitri, and witnessing the exchange of Letters of Collaboration (LOCs) between Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) and two Turkish institutions—Sabanci University and Yildiz Technical University. Seventeen MARA-sponsored students currently studying in Turkiye will witness the document exchange ceremony.

Malaysia and Turkiye have maintained strong diplomatic and strategic ties since establishing formal relations on June 17, 1964. Bilateral trade between the two nations reached US$5.6 billion, with both governments agreeing in January 2026 to target US$10 billion in bilateral trade volume within five years, cementing Malaysia’s position alongside Singapore as one of Turkiye’s principal trading partners in Southeast Asia.

Key Working Visit Details, Academic Collaborations, and Economic Targets

Key parameters, diplomatic meetings, and educational initiatives during the four-day visit include:

• Official Visit Duration: November 5–8, 2026, in Istanbul, Turkiye.
• TRT World Forum Role: Guest panellist for “Turkiye: From Regional Power to Multi-Regional Actor”.
• Diplomatic Engagements: Courtesy call with Prof. Dr. Erol Ozvar (Turkish Council of Higher Education), opening ceremony with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and meeting with Lebanese DPM Tarek Mitri.
• MARA Academic Partnerships: Exchange of LOCs with Sabanci University and Yildiz Technical University.
• Geopolitical Lecture & Exchange: Guest lecture at Ibn Haldun University and strategic dialogue with SETA.
• Bilateral Trade Goal: US$5.6 billion current trade volume, targeting US$10 billion within five years.

–NMT