Turkiye-Malaysia Ties A Model Of Stability Amid Global Uncertainty

By Rohani Mohd Ibrahim

KUALA LUMPUR, April 7 (Bernama) -- Türkiye-Malaysia ties have emerged as a model of stability and strategic cooperation amid growing global uncertainty, a scholar said.

Professor Dr Nebi Miş of the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA) Türkiye described the relationship as strategic, inseparable and mutually beneficial, and called for stronger engagement across key areas.

“Economic relations between the two countries must be enhanced, and more Malaysians should study in Türkiye, as well as more students from Türkiye should study in Malaysia,” he said in his closing remarks at the inaugural Kuala Lumpur-Ankara Dialogue 2026 here on Tuesday.

Themed “Anchored in History, Aligned for Tomorrow”, the dialogue organised jointly by the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia and SETA, gathered more than 250 policy architects and strategic thinkers to map how the Putrajaya–Ankara partnership is reshaping the geopolitical and geoeconomic landscape of the era.

Earlier, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim delivered the keynote address at the dialogue.

During a question-and-answer session, Anwar said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had demonstrated the true meaning of friendship.

President Erdoğan had remained a friend during the darkest hour, he added. 

Meanwhile, Datuk Prof. Dr Mohd Faiz Abdullah of ISIS Malaysia said Malaysia and Türkiye’s cooperation in peace and security remains important, although the work ahead is long and winding.

He noted that relations between Malaysia and Türkiye, with bilateral trade reaching US$5 billion last year, date back centuries, long before the emergence of modern nation-states.

“They were interrupted by colonisation and the collapse of empires, but formal ties were re-established in 1964,” he said in the opening remarks earlier.

He added that the Kuala Lumpur–Ankara Dialogue will be held in Ankara next year. 

-- BERNAMA