ISTANBUL: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has paid a courtesy call on Turkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdogan here on Friday (Nov 6), with discussions focusing on strengthening bilateral relations and increasing Malaysia-Turkiye trade value.
The 30-minute meeting, starting at 4pm local time (9pm Malaysian time), occurred shortly after Erdogan launched the TRT World Forum 2026 at the Istanbul Congress Centre (ICC), before Ahmad Zahid joined a session titled "Turkiye From Regional Power to Multi-Regional Actor".
During the meeting, both countries agreed to increase their bilateral trade target from US$5.6bilin 2025 to US$10bil by 2030, following the establishment of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC), which held its inaugural meeting in Ankara last January.
Ahmad Zahid also touched on Turkiye's role as the 12th Asean Sectoral Dialogue Partner and Malaysia's commitment as the coordinating country for Asean-Turkiye relations to expand strategic cooperation between both parties.
He also expressed appreciation for Turkiye's firm commitment to championing regional peace, including its active involvement in Syria, Lebanon and Palestine, alongside its role as a mediator in the Russia-Ukraine conflict through the "Istanbul Process".
Discussions also covered developments in diplomatic efforts to ease tensions between the United States and Iran, including joint initiatives mobilised by Turkiye alongside Pakistan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Furthermore, Ahmad Zahid conveyed Malaysia's strong support for Turkiye's role in hosting the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31), scheduled to take place in Antalya on Nov 11 and 12.
Earlier, Ahmad Zahid received a courtesy call from Turkiye's Council of Higher Education (YOK) President Prof Dr Erol Ozvar at the hotel where he is staying here, besides holding a bilateral meeting with Turkiye Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz at the ICC.
The deputy prime minister is in Turkiye for a four-day working visit from Nov 5 to 8 in conjunction with his participation in the TRT World Forum 2026.
The two-day forum, themed "A World Without a Center: Who Leads When the Rules Run Out?", gathers political leaders, policymakers, academics, media practitioners and civil society representatives globally. – Bernama
