PUTRAJAYA, Feb 11 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim conveyed his appreciation to the Turkish government's trust in Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB), reaffirming the strong partnership in managing Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport (ISGA).
He emphasised that the confidence in MAHB’s investment reflects the strength of bilateral relations, assuring that Malaysia remains dedicated to collaborating closely with local authorities, construction firms and management teams to ensure the partnership's continued success.
MAHB holds a 100 per cent stake in ISGA through its Turkish unit Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Uluslararasi Havalimani Yatirim Yapim ve Isletme AS.
"President Erdogan, we have been extremely fortunate because your government has given that trust and confidence to our airport authority MAHB to continue the collaboration with Istanbul Sabiha Airport.
“We will certainly work hand-in-hand as agreed with the local authorities, local construction companies, and management," Anwar said during a joint press conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan here today.
Erdogan is currently on a two-day official visit to Malaysia.
Anwar highlighted Turkiye's success in airline and airport management, noting it as a shining example across Europe and globally.
"I've always alerted my colleagues to seek that example. When I first began to follow Turkish development and know you personally, Turkish Airlines was probably considered the weakest and the worst in Europe.
“Now, under your stewardship, I don't know what you did, but you were able to transform it into a leading airline. The airport has become one of the largest, the most efficient, and has secured so many visitors,” he stressed.
Anwar acknowledged the swift transformation Turkiye has achieved in less than a decade and emphasised Malaysia's intent to learn from and share this success.
"Beyond that, of course, our cooperation will continue in other sectors including energy with Petronas and related companies, as well as in the halal industry, health, digital sectors, and disaster management,” he said.
Meanwhile, Erdogan said his country is eager to strengthen ties with Malaysia through enhanced cooperation in the aviation sector.
"We want to welcome more of our brothers in Turkiye. We also drew attention to the critical role of our airlines in advancing our human ties.
“We have doubled our number of flights to Sabiha Gökçen. We hope that Sabiha Gökçen will have more flights in the future. We are trying to create cooperation opportunities in this sector," he said.
MAHB was part of a consortium that won a €1.93 billion (RM8.9 billion) contract in 2008 to build and manage ISGA until 2032.
The airport operator has proposed to undertake additional investment in Turkiye, catering to additional terminal capacity enhancement as part of the concession extension.
In his bilateral meeting with Erdogan in September 2023, Anwar was reported as saying that Erdogan had agreed that MAHB should continue operating the ISGA as the Turkish government was satisfied with the success of the Malaysian company operating the airport.
In 2024, Turkiye was Malaysia’s third-largest trading partner, largest export destination and fourth-largest import source among West Asia countries.
Total trade between Malaysia and Turkiye was recorded at RM24.13 billion (US$5.28 billion) in 2024, an 18.7 per cent increase from 2023.
-- BERNAMA
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