PETALING JAYA: Malaysia and Türkiye have agreed to establish a formal platform to strengthen defence cooperation and address emerging geopolitical and regional security issues, following the inaugural Malaysia-Türkiye Policy Talk in Ankara.
The first Policy Talk, held at the Turkish Ministry of National Defence headquarters on Aug 24, brought together Malaysian and Turkish defence officials to exchange views on defence policy and strategy, geopolitical developments, security issues and potential areas of future cooperation.
The Malaysian delegation was led by Deputy Secretary-General (Policy) of the Defence Ministry Datuk Yani Daud, while the meeting was chaired by Turkish Ministry of National Defence Director-General for Security and Defence Lt Gen Ilkay Altindag.
“Both sides agreed to establish Terms of Reference (TOR) for the Policy Talk, which would serve as a mechanism to identify instruments of cooperation and explore potential defence cooperation programmes in the future.
“The two sides also discussed the importance of preserving regional stability and peace amid evolving geopolitical and security challenges,” according to the Defence Ministry in a statement on Wednesday (Aug 26).
Malaysia also expressed its appreciation for Türkiye’s role in promoting peace in West Asia, including through the recent signing of the Mecca Pact.
“As a follow-up to the inaugural meeting, Malaysia officially invited Türkiye to attend the second Policy Talk, which is scheduled to be held in Kuala Lumpur next year,” it said.
The ministry said the meeting was expected to further strengthen the strategic ties and friendship between Malaysia and Türkiye, in line with the emphasis placed on the partnership in the Mid-Term Review of the Defence White Paper.
The inaugural Policy Talk marked a new avenue for both countries to deepen strategic engagement beyond existing bilateral defence cooperation, particularly through regular discussions on security, defence policy and regional developments.
