By Shakir Husain
NEW DELHI, Feb 13 (Bernama) -- Relations between Malaysia and Türkiye are set for phenomenal growth in the years to come, driven by common interests and complementary strengths, Turkish political analysts said.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's visit to Malaysia this week gave a fillip to the partnership that has grown to cover a wider range of areas, according to Mustafa Oztop, an international relations expert.
"The visit shows that the relations between the two countries will experience one of their brightest periods," he said, adding that the long-standing friendship between Erdoğan and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim provides more strength to the relationship rooted in history.
"Sharing Türkiye's role as a unifier in the Islamic world as well as its experience in defence industry, diplomacy, health and transportation, and Malaysia's pioneering intellectual capacity in the Islamic world, science, technology and economics can make critical contributions to the development and prosperity of both countries," Oztop said.
Türkiye and Malaysia may be geographically far away from each other but they are united in their visions for the future, said Ibrahim Karataş, an associate professor of international affairs and political commentator.
The Turkish analysts also pointed towards the goodwill and cooperation that exist between Malaysia and Türkiye.
They closely work on major issues, including Palestine, Islamophobia, human rights, humanitarian situations, and various initiatives within the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and D-8 organisation.
Strong relations with Malaysia dovetail Türkiye's "Asia Anew" initiative launched in 2019 as part of the country's greater eastward diplomatic and economic engagement.
The defence sector offers huge opportunities for partnerships along with trade, collaboration in education, and people to people exchanges.
"Malaysia's participation in Turkish defence projects will be of crucial importance," Karataş said.
"Cooperation in this sector is not optional but a necessity for both like-minded countries," he said, pointing out that heightened geopolitical tensions and conflicts have created big procurement risks.
Malaysia and Türkiye, in their joint statement on Tuesday, underlined their close defence collaboration aimed at enhancing capabilities and strengthening the shared defence ecosystem.
Türkiye was Malaysia's third largest trading partner, top export destination, and fourth biggest source of imports among West Asia countries in 2024, while Malaysia was Türkiye's top economic partner within the ASEAN region.
The two sides aim to double their trade, which was RM24.13 billion (US$5.28 billion) last year.
Their diplomatic relations were elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) in July 2022.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Anwar during the visit, Erdoğan said the ties of friendship and brotherhood between the Turkish and Malaysian peoples go back centuries, and the two countries will "draw strength from this very ancient common history and follow the footsteps of our ancestors."
-- BERNAMA
