ISTANBUL: Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin arrived here on Tuesday (July 22) night for a three-day official visit to Turkiye aimed at strengthening bilateral defence cooperation and exploring strategic defence opportunities.
He landed at Istanbul Airport at approximately 9.30pm local time (2.30am Malaysian time), where he was received by Malaysia’s Consul General in Istanbul, Ahmad Amiri Abu Bakar, and Turkish Liaison Officer Captain (Engineer) Serkan Ekin.
Mohamed Khaled is accompanied by Royal Malaysian Navy Chief Admiral Datuk Zulhelmy Ithnain and a delegation from the Defence Ministry.
During the visit, he is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Turkiye, Azerbaijan and Sudan - Turkiye’s Defence Minister Yasar Guler, Azerbaijan’s Defence Minister Vugar Mustafayev, and Sudan’s Defence Minister Hassan Daoud Kayan.
He will also attend the International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF) 2025, one of the world’s leading defence exhibitions, organised by Turkiye’s Ministry of National Defence.
The exhibition is taking place at the Istanbul Expo Centre from July 22 to 27 and brings together global defence industry stakeholders to showcase and explore the latest technologies and innovations.
Several memorandums of understanding (MoUs) between Malaysian government agencies and companies with their Turkish counterparts are expected to be signed during the exhibition.
As part of his itinerary, Mohamed Khaled will also meet with officials from Turkiye’s Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB), the agency responsible for managing the country’s defence industry and military technology development.
In addition, he is scheduled to inspect the progress of three Littoral Mission Ships (LMS) from the second batch, currently under construction by Turkish defence firm Savunma Teknolojileri Muhendislik (STM) at the Istanbul Shipyard.
This follows his visit to Turkiye in June last year, during which the Ministry of Defence issued the Letter of Acceptance (LOA) to STM for the procurement of the three LMS vessels. - Bernama
