ISTANBUL: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi paid a courtesy call on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan today.
The meeting, which began at 4pm local time (9pm Malaysian time), lasted about 30 minutes and was held at the Istanbul Congress Centre after the 2026 TRT World Forum opening ceremony.
On bilateral ties, both sides looked forward to strengthening relations following the establishment of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council, whose inaugural meeting was held in Ankara in Jan this year.
The discussion also covered raising the bilateral trade target from US$5.6 billion in 2025 to US$10 billion by 2030.
Zahid also congratulated Turkiye on becoming Asean’s 12th Dialogue Partner. Malaysia, he said, would work closely with Ankara as country coordinator.
On regional security, Zahid commended Turkiye’s role as an interlocutor in Syria, Lebanon and Palestine, including Gaza.
He also praised Ankara’s mediation in the Ukraine–Russia war through the “Istanbul Process” and voiced support for its backchannel diplomacy on the United States–Iran conflict, together with Pakistan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Zahid also wished Turkiye success in hosting the 31st meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change summit in Antalya on Nov 11 and 12.
Zahid, who is also Rural and Regional Development Minister, is in Turkiye for a four-day working visit from Nov 5 to 8.
ENDS
KW: Zahid Hamidi, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Türkiye, Istanbul, official visit, 2026 TRT World Forum, bilateral ties, trade, Malaysia news, NST