Turkish PM vows to double trade with Malaysia

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Turkey plans to double its annual trade with Malaysia, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in Putrajaya, on 10 February, the first day of his two-day visit to Malaysia.

Bilateral trade between Turkey and Malaysia last year was MYR 24.13bn (USD 5.4bn), up 18.7% year-on-year, according to official data.

Members of Erdogan’s cabinet signed 11 bilateral memorandums of understanding (MOUs) on sectors including green energy, defence, trade, disaster management and media. The MOUs aim to diversify Malaysia’s economy and deepen Turkey’s footprint in Southeast Asia (SEA).

Erdogan noted that relations with Malaysia are based on “a vision of technological cooperation and joint production” and said the two countries are “gateways”, to Asia and Europe respectively.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim wrote on X of “a very fruitful and meaningful day”, calling Turkey “one of the major powers that is increasingly shaping the global geopolitical landscape”.

Erdogan in speech

Chancellor Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah awarded Erdogan an honorary degree in international relations from the Universiti Malaya, where the Turkish leader then gave a public lecture. In his speech, Erdogan said “From semiconductor technologies to automotive, from aircraft technologies to civil simulators, we wish to enhance our joint efforts in every sector and to move forward together in various fields with Malaysia.

“We have reached the stage to reap the fruits of this vision,” he added, recalling that Turkey’s second-largest airport, Sabiha Gokcen International, is operated by the Malaysian Airports Authority.

Erdogan said Malaysia is one of the leading countries in its region, underlining its population of almost 35 million, dynamic economy and skilled human resources. He recalled that Turkish Aviation Industries/Malaysia has developed into a vibrant facility that employs more than 100 young Malaysian engineers.

The countries’ respective defence ministers signed two significant agreements in the defence sector. The first focuses on government-to-government procurement and creating a joint committee for defence products. The second involves strategic communication systems, with an MoU exchanged between Malaysia’s National Security Council and Turkey’s Defence Industries Secretariat. The MOUs expand military procurement and technology-sharing, with an expected focus on Turkish unmanned aerial vehicles.

“With the cooperation of our defence industry companies, the building of the second batch of Littoral Mission Ships is now underway,” Erdogan said, referring to Malaysian Navy offshore patrol vessels. Both countries have also had significant cooperation on ANKA unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), he added, referring to the class of unmanned aerial vehicles developed primarily for the Turkish Air Force.

Bilateral desire to cut reliance on Western tech

The two countries will also collaborate on renewable energy projects, aligning with Malaysia’s decarbonisation goals and Turkey’s security strategy. The related MOU was signed by energy ministers Seri Fadillah Yusof and Alparslan Bayraktar.

Trade and investment agreements aim to strengthen bilateral supply chains to hedge against global economic shifts. Under the non-binding agreement, countries will work together on cybersecurity and AI to reduce reliance on Western tech ecosystems. Turkish construction will also play a larger role in Malaysia’s urban expansion, another MOU stated.

Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority formalised an MOU to enhance collaboration in disaster preparedness and response with the National Disaster Management Agency of Malaysia. Another MOU on consumer protection, market surveillance and inspections was signed by Malaysia’s Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living and Turkey’s Ministry of Trade.

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission and Turkey’s Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTUK) signed an MOU on media services. Additionally, the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) and Anadolu Ajansı formalized an agreement on information and communications cooperation.

Erdogan has been Turkish president since 2014 and served as prime minister from 2003-14. Malaysia’s last major MOU exchange with Turkey was in 2022 when the two nations signed seven agreements in science, defence, and academia. The latest deals signal a broader collaboration beyond traditional trade into more strategic sectors.