KUALA LUMPUR: Turkyish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (pic), who begins a two-day visit to Malaysia today, will be awarded an Honorary Doctorate in International Relations by Universiti Malaya in recognition of his contributions to global diplomacy and international negotiations.
In a statement yesterday, the university said its Chancellor Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah will confer the honorary degree on Erdogan in a special ceremony at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC) today.
The president will be welcomed with an official reception at Perdana Putra tomorrow, followed by a one-on-one meeting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Wisma Putra said Erdogan’s visit would reaffirm the solid relations between the two nations which continue to advance, premised on long-standing ties with the elevation of relations to the level of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) in July 2022.
It said both leaders were expected to review the progress of bilateral relations mainly in trade and investment, defence, halal, energy cooperation, disaster management, health, science and technology, and connectivity.
The leaders are also expected to exchange views on various regional and international issues of mutual interest, including Malaysia’s Asean chairmanship, Turkiye’s hosting of the Fourth Edition of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum 2025, Islamophobia and the recent ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
Both leaders will then witness the exchange of MOUs, agreements and notes before addressing a joint media conference.
Anwar will also host a luncheon at Seri Perdana Complex in honour of the visiting leader.
The president’s visit will conclude with the Malaysia-Turkiye Business Forum, reflecting the shared commitment of both countries to expand their economic partnership.
Wisma Putra said with Malaysia as Asean Chair, it was committed to strengthening regional integration and fostering partnerships beyond the region.
It said as a Sectoral Dialogue Partner of Asean, Turkiye was well-positioned to play a crucial role in advancing Asean’s economic priorities.
Turkiye became a Sectoral Dialogue Partner in 2017, with the Asean-Turkiye Practical Cooperation Areas (2024-2028) serving as a framework for strategic collaborations between both sides.
In 2024, Turkiye was Malaysia’s third largest trading partner, largest export destination and fourth largest import source among West Asian countries.
The total bilateral trade stood at RM24.13bil (US$5.28bil) last year, an 18.7% increase from 2023.
