Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid’s Working Visit To Turkiye Expands Strategic Alliances And Economic Cooperation

ISTANBUL, Nov 9 – Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi concluded a successful four-day working visit to Turkiye on Sunday, November 8, 2026, translating Malaysia-Turkiye diplomatic ties into high-impact bilateral cooperation.

Anchored by his attendance at the TRT World Forum 2026 at the Istanbul Congress Centre (ICC) on Friday, November 6, the visit enabled Malaysia to articulate its geopolitical stance while securing fresh partnerships in defense, trade, education, and human capital development.

Speaking on a high-level panel titled “Turkiye From Regional Power to Multi-Regional Actor,” Ahmad Zahid highlighted bilateral defense initiatives, focusing on technology transfers and joint technical expertise alongside strategic synergies to preserve regional stability.

On the sidelines of the forum, Ahmad Zahid paid a courtesy call on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The leaders agreed to expand two-way trade from US$5.51 billion in 2025 to US$10 billion by 2030, while deepening cooperation in defense, artificial intelligence, semiconductor investments, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), the halal industry, and disaster management. Both leaders also discussed humanitarian protection for civilians in Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria.

As the country coordinator for ASEAN-Turkiye relations, Ahmad Zahid, who also serves as Rural and Regional Development Minister, reaffirmed Malaysia’s commitment to advancing inter-regional economic and diplomatic ties.

In a separate bilateral meeting with Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz, both nations identified strategic investment opportunities in semiconductor technology, artificial intelligence (AI), food and beverage, electrical and electronics (E&E), rural economic empowerment, and sustainable urban development. Multilateral talks were also held with Developing Eight (D-8) Secretary-General Sohail Mahmood and Lebanese Deputy Prime Minister Dr Tarek Mitri.

Advancing Malaysia’s TVET agenda, Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) institutions—Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) and Universiti Poly-Tech Malaysia (UPTM)—signed Letters of Cooperation (LoC) on Saturday, November 7, with Sabanci University and Yildiz Technical University (YTU):

• Sabanci University Collaboration: Covers joint bachelor’s and master’s degree programs, curriculum alignment, collaborative research, and joint doctoral supervision.
• Yildiz Technical University (YTU) Collaboration: Partners with UniKL Institute of Marine Engineering Technology (UniKL MIMET) for joint research in ship design and shallow water model testing using YTU’s specialized wave tank facility.

Additionally, a roundtable session with Turkish think tank Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA) explored strategic middle-power autonomy and Southeast Asia-West Asia geopolitics. Ahmad Zahid also met Malaysia’s Honorary Consul in Bursa, Datuk Cevdet Sefer, to review a proposal to establish a ship maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) hub in Bagan Datuk, Perak, using advanced Turkish maritime technology.

Concluding his visit at a press conference on Sunday, Ahmad Zahid outlined Malaysia’s proposal to revive the International Zakat Organisation (IZO)—originally established in 2008—to streamline global zakat collection and distribution for underprivileged Muslim communities and minorities. He also reaffirmed Malaysia’s commitment to the D-8 target of expanding intra-member trade beyond US$500 billion by 2030.

Key Bilateral Targets, Academic MoUs, and Strategic Initiatives

Key trade targets, institutional agreements, and defense proposals include:

• Bilateral Trade Target: Elevating Malaysia-Turkiye two-way trade from US$5.51 billion in 2025 to US$10 billion by 2030.
• Multilateral Financial Targets: Supporting the D-8 target to increase intra-trade above US$500 billion by 2030 and proposing the revival of the International Zakat Organisation (IZO).
• TVET & Academic Partnerships: LoCs signed by UniKL and UPTM with Sabanci University (joint degrees, PhD supervision) and Yildiz Technical University (marine engineering, wave tank testing with UniKL MIMET).
• Industrial & Regional Proposals: Establishing a maritime MRO hub in Bagan Datuk, Perak, powered by Turkish technology, alongside investments in AI, semiconductors, and E&E.

–NMT