Anwar to meet Erdogan, chair Malaysia–Turkiye strategic council on second day of visit

ANKARA, Jan 7 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has a packed schedule on the second day of his official visit to Turkiye today, highlighted by a meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan scheduled to take place at the Presidential Complex here.

Anwar will begin the day’s programme with a courtesy call by Turkiye’s Defence Industry Secretary Prof Dr Haluk Gorgun at a hotel here in the morning.

The prime minister is also scheduled to deliver a public lecture, Power Shift: Strategic Choices for Malaysia and Turkiye, to an audience comprising professionals, academics, senior Turkish officials and students.

Following the session, Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, will be accorded an official welcoming ceremony before the two leaders hold a closed-door meeting at the Presidential Complex.

Both leaders will then jointly chair the inaugral Malaysia–Turkiye High-Level Strategic Council (HLSC) Meeting, followed by a joint press conference in the afternoon.

Anwar will also be conferred Turkiye’s highest award, the Order of the Republic, in recognition of his role in strengthening relations between Malaysia and Turkiye.

The prime minister’s second day of the visit will conclude with an official dinner hosted by Erdogan in honour of Anwar and the Malaysian delegation.

Anwar is accompanied by his wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir and Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani.

The official visit, which concludes tomorrow, aims to further strengthen long-standing bilateral relations between Malaysia and Turkiye.

Malaysia’s total trade with Turkiye from January to November 2025 reached RM21.2 billion (USD4.92 billion), with the republic remaining an important economic partner.

In 2024, Turkiye was Malaysia’s third-largest trading partner, largest export destination and fourth-largest source of imports among West Asian countries, with total trade valued at RM24.15 billion (USD5.28 billion). — Bernama