IRIA News

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has wrapped up a three-nation tour across Malaysia, Indonesia, and Pakistan from February 10-13, 2025. The visit focused on reinforcing Turkey’s defense and trade relations with key Asian partners, aiming to strengthen strategic cooperation in both sectors.

Erdogan’s trip signals Turkey’s growing influence in Asia and its commitment to bolstering military and economic ties with Muslim-majority nations.

Erdogan was accompanied by a high-level delegation, including Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, Defence Minister Yasar Guler, Trade Minister Omer Bolat, Industry Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacir, Agriculture Minister İbrahim Yumakli, and other key advisers.

Turkiye and Malaysia deepen strategic partnership in trade, defense, and energy

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Asia tour began on February 10 in Malaysia, where he and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim witnessed the signing of 11 key agreements, marking a significant step in the expansion of bilateral ties. The agreements span several critical sectors, including defense, trade, energy, and disaster management, reflecting both countries’ commitment to enhancing strategic collaboration.

Energy: Among the notable agreements was the signing of an exchange of letters on energy transition cooperation, signed by Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar and Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof. In the energy domain, both leaders pledged to expand cooperation on renewable energy and critical raw materials for clean energy development. They also agreed on joint efforts to advance sustainable practices, including waste management and recycling, as part of their Zero Waste initiative.

Bugün Malezya’da aziz kardeşim Başbakan Enver İbrahim ile münasebetlerimizi perçinleyecek adımları değerlendirdik. 🇹🇷🇲🇾

Kapsamlı stratejik ortaklığımızın ruhuna uygun olarak münasebetlerimizi yüksek düzeyli stratejik iş birliği konseyi tesis ederek ilerletmeye devam edeceğiz.… pic.twitter.com/1Zjv3KjmU8

— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) February 11, 2025

Defense: Defense and security cooperation were also discussed. Both countries reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening ties in procurement, joint development, production, and technology transfer. The two leaders discussed expanding cooperation in sectors like defense, semiconductors, and electrical electronics. Malaysia is particularly interested in Turkish maritime defense products, and defense ministers agreed on mutual technology exchange in the defense sector. Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) and STM have already made significant investments in Malaysia.

Turkiye-Malaysia trade: President Erdogan announced an ambitious plan to double Turkiye’s trade volume with Malaysia, aiming to increase it from $5 billion to $10 billion, with a focus on sustainable and balanced trade. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim expressed confidence in achieving this target, saying: “There is no reason why we cannot realize this and develop our economies.”

The two leaders also discussed economic collaboration, with the 2024 expansion of the Malaysia-Turkiye Free Trade Agreement and the establishment of a joint business council to encourage private sector partnerships. Erdogan and Ibrahim reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening defense ties, with an emphasis on joint development and technology transfer in the defense sector.

Erdogan emphasized the creation of a high-level strategic cooperation council to advance the comprehensive partnership between Turkiye and Malaysia, focusing on a win-win approach to trade and investment.

Indonesian and Turkish leaders discuss defense and economic collaboration

Erdogan and his wife, First Lady Emine Erdogan, arrived in Jakarta late February 12. During the visit, Turkiye and Indonesia signed 13 agreements covering key areas such as trade, defense, energy, education, and media. The signing ceremony, witnessed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, followed the first High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council meeting in Bogor.

Turkiye-Indonesia Trade: Erdogan and Subianto reaffirmed their goal to double the bilateral trade volume to $10 billion, with an emphasis on developing preferential trade agreements and the Turkiye-Indonesia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). “We are trying to increase our trade by $10 billion per year with the same balance,” Erdogan said. Both leaders also encouraged collaboration in major infrastructure projects, including Indonesia’s new capital city Nusantara and housing developments, with Turkish construction companies playing a significant role.

Defense: On defense, agreements were signed to enhance cooperation, including joint defense industry projects and technology exchanges. A notable deal was the joint production of Bayraktar drones by Turkish defense company BAYKAR and Indonesian partner Republikorp.

Cultural and Educational Ties: Recognizing the importance of people-to-people connections, Erdogan and Subianto committed to expanding cultural exchanges, academic partnerships, and youth programs. Focused efforts will also be made to improve global health preparedness and enhance resilience against future pandemics.

Both leaders agreed to establish regular 2+2 meetings between foreign and defense ministers to oversee defense cooperation, with plans for the second High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council meeting in Turkiye in 2027. Indonesia is the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country and Southeast Asia’s largest economy.

Turkish drone giant Baykar signs deal to set up UAV factory in Indonesia

Turkish drone giant Baykar has signed a joint venture agreement with Indonesian defense company Republikorp to establish a UAV manufacturing facility in Indonesia. The joint venture agreement was signed on February 12 by Baykar CEO Haluk Bayraktar and Republikorp founder Norman Joesoef.

The deal will focus on the coproduction of Bayraktar TB3 and Akıncı drones, enhancing Indonesia’s defense capabilities. The agreement follows a meeting between Erdogan and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, where both leaders emphasized strengthening defense and economic ties.

Baykar, a leader in Turkiye’s defense sector, is known for its Bayraktar TB2 drones, which have gained global recognition for their use in Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and North Africa. Baykar’s rising influence in the drone market, alongside Turkiye’s advancements in unmanned fighter jets like Kızılelma and the Bayraktar TB3, strengthens defense ties with Indonesia, deepening their military and tech collaboration.

Turkiye and Indonesia also signed a defense cooperation agreement in 2010, leading to the joint development of a medium tank by Indonesia’s Pindad and Turkey’s FNSS.

Turkiye and Pakistan strengthen ties with 24 strategic agreements

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Islamabad on February 12 marked a significant step in strengthening bilateral ties between Turkiye and Pakistan. Welcomed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari, Erdogan discussed intensifying efforts to reach a bilateral trade target of $5 billion. Sharif and Erdogan underscored the importance of deepening economic, defense, and cultural cooperation, with Erdogan highlighting Turkey’s commitment to supporting Pakistan’s infrastructure and investment sectors.

In and interaction with Pakistani entrepreneurs from various sectors at the Pakistan-Turkiye Business Forum in Islamabad, Erdogan emphasized: “We encourage our investors, who are the driving force of economic cooperation, to engage more actively in Pakistan.”

A key outcome of the visit was the signing of 24 agreements covering a wide range of sectors. These included defense cooperation protocols, such as military personnel exchanges, electronic warfare collaboration, and joint training initiatives in military health. In the energy sector, both countries signed agreements on hydrocarbons, energy transition, and mining, aiming to expand mutual energy security. The trade relationship was further cemented with agreements on industrial property, digital trade, and cooperation in goods trade, while agricultural collaboration focused on seed production and water resource management.

Beyond economic and defense issues, the agreements also focused on cultural, health, and technological exchanges. In healthcare, both nations committed to enhancing pharmaceutical collaborations, while Turkish and Pakistani aerospace institutions strengthened ties with a memorandum of understanding to advance maritime and aerospace research. A key agreement was signed between Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAS) and Pakistan Maritime Research and Development Institute (NRDI) to enhance aerospace and maritime research collaboration.

Bugün Pakistan’ın başkenti İslamabad’da kıymetli kardeşim Başbakan Şahbaz Şerif ile bir araya geldik, Yüksek Düzeyli Stratejik İş Birliği Konseyi 7’nci Toplantımızı gerçekleştirdik. 🇹🇷🇵🇰

İkinci evimiz olarak gördüğümüz Pakistan’ı ziyaret etmekten bahtiyarlık duydum.… pic.twitter.com/9oCLpV5fgn

— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) February 13, 2025

Meanwhile, Erdogan’s discussions with leaders of Malaysia, Indonesia, and Pakistan also prioritized regional humanitarian issues, particularly the reconstruction of Gaza. Both Malaysia and Turkey reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Gaza’s rebuilding and providing humanitarian aid. Erdogan also reiterated his call for Israel to fund Gaza’s reconstruction.

As a symbol of Turkey’s technological advancements, Erdogan gifted all three leaders of Malaysia, Indonesia, and Pakistan a Togg T10X, an electric SUV produced by Turkiye’s first domestic electric vehicle manufacturer.