By Wan Muhammad Aslah Wan Razali
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 14 (Bernama) -- Malaysia welcomes Türkiye’s initiative to strengthen ties with Southeast Asia, particularly through its aspiration to become an ASEAN dialogue partner, according to Malaysia’s Ambassador to Türkiye, Sazali Mustafa Kamal.
In an interview on the Bernama TV programme “The Nation”, recorded on Wednesday, Sazali praised Malaysia-Türkiye relations, highlighting the progress from recent high-level engagements.
“The state of relations between our two countries is at a very good level. We have seen many developments and understanding between our leaders and governments,” he said during the interview.
He reiterated Malaysia’s support for Türkiye’s efforts to deepen engagement with ASEAN.
“Türkiye has aspired to be an ASEAN dialogue partner for quite some time. It has engaged ASEAN countries through various activities and established embassies in all member states since becoming a sectoral dialogue partner in 2017,” he said
Sazali emphasised Türkiye’s technological strides, referencing his visit to Turkish Aerospace Industries, where he observed the development of the KAAN, the country’s newest fifth-generation stealth fighter jet.
“Türkiye has made enormous strides technologically. Their advancements benefit not only the defence sector but also the wider industrial sector.”
He noted that Türkiye spent around US$12 billion on research and development (R&D) in 2023, and that amount rose to US$15 billion in 2024.
“These investments, directed towards universities, industries, and innovators, are something Malaysia could emulate to boost its R&D,” he said.
On business collaboration, Sazali identified geography and language as key barriers, noting that Malaysian businesses tend to be cautious due to their reliance on English.
He encouraged partnerships with Turkish companies, which have shown interest in joint ventures, to tap into markets in Africa and the Middle East.
He also urged Malaysia’s private sector to pursue strategic alliances with Turkish companies to foster innovation and access international markets.
Regarding the Palestinian cause, he expressed pride in the united stance of Malaysia and Türkiye, advocating for a two-state solution with East Jerusalem as the capital and a return to the 1967 borders.
He commended Türkiye’s support, noting the delivery of over 800,000 tonnes of aid to Palestinians.
Meanwhile, Sazali also touched on the strong people-to-people ties between Malaysia and Türkiye, driven by cultural affinity, business, and tourism.
“Malaysians have a very positive view of Türkiye, given its rich history and deep connections with the Muslim world,” he said.
He highlighted that over 90,000 Malaysians visit Türkiye annually, with approximately 21,000 Turkish nationals visiting Malaysia as of December last year.
On enhancing the partnership, he said, “The partnership we see today is a comprehensive strategic partnership, where we complement each other across multiple fields.”
He expressed hopes for deeper cooperation in developing technologies and fostering student exchanges to promote cultural understanding.
-- BERNAMA
BERNAMA provides up-to-date authentic and comprehensive news and information which are disseminated via BERNAMA Wires; www.bernama.com; BERNAMA TV on Astro 502, unifi TV 631 and MYTV 121 channels and BERNAMA Radio on FM93.9 (Klang Valley), FM107.5 (Johor Bahru), FM107.9 (Kota Kinabalu) and FM100.9 (Kuching) frequencies.
Follow us on social media :
Facebook : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatv, @bernamaradio
Twitter : @bernama.com, @BernamaTV, @bernamaradio
Instagram : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatvofficial, @bernamaradioofficial
TikTok : @bernamaofficial
