ISTANBUL: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today received a courtesy call from Malaysia’s Honorary Consul in Bursa, Turkiye, Datuk Cevdet Sefer.
The 30-minute meeting began at 11am (4pm Malaysian time) at Zahid’s hotel here.
Zahid highlighted opportunities for Turkish investors and companies to expand into Malaysia, positioning the country as a strategic gateway to the wider Asean market.
He also proposed exploring commercially viable joint ventures in renewable energy, recycling and sustainable industrial development, with an emphasis on technology transfer and Malaysian participation.
Zahid, who is also the National Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Council chairman, welcomed cooperation in TVET that combines investment with industrial attachments, technical training and skills transfer for Malaysian youth and workers.
Zahid also discussed the development of the Malaysian Institute of Marine Engineering Technology in Lumut, Perak.
He asked Sefer to identify realistic investment or trade opportunities for follow-up with the relevant agencies in Malaysia.
Zahid also discussed the need to translate the Malaysia-Türkiye Comprehensive Strategic Partnership into concrete business opportunities, quality jobs and mutually beneficial investments.
The deputy prime minister is in Turkiye for a four-day working visit in conjunction with the 2026 TRT World Forum.
Yesterday, he attended the forum’s opening ceremony, officiated by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Istanbul Congress Centre, before taking part in a session titled “Türkiye: From Regional Power to Multi-Regional Actor”.
The two-day forum, which began yesterday, is themed “A World Without a Center: Who Leads When the Rules Run Out?” and brings together political leaders, policymakers, academics, media practitioners and civil society representatives from around the world.