‘Election BD’s own issue: Turkish envoy

Staff Reporter :
Turkish Ambassador Mustafa Osman Turan said that holding a free and fair election was an issue of Bangladesh, not the foreigners.
He also said that the political parties should sit together to resolve the differences ahead of the next Parliamentary polls, and the government alone cannot do everything as required.
“It is up to Bangladesh to decide whether the election will be free and fair. It is not an issue of the foreigners,” he said on Wednesday.
The envoy said it while addressing an event titled ‘Meet the Ambassador’organised by Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) in collaboration with the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) Bangladesh in a city hotel. Zillur Rahman, CGS Executive Director moderated the programme.
Ambassador Mustafa Osman Turan said, “The national election is an internal issue of Bangladesh. All political parties should participate in elections. There is obviously a room for political dialogue to resolve any problem.”
“The willingness of the government is necessary for fair election. Bangladesh will decide its election, not the foreigners. Whoever wins in the next election, there will be no impact on our bilateral relations,” he added.
He also said that Turkiye saw Bangladesh as a ‘trustworthy manufacturing hub’, and it was going to be their prominent partner in the region.
“Turkiye plans to diversify its trade and investment in Bangladesh,” he informed.
Replying to a query about Turkish plans to develop strategic relations with Bangladesh, the envoy said, “The plans should be mutually agreed upon. Our relations are based on trust and we look forward to broadening the partnership with Bangladesh.”
About the defence cooperation, he said, “Bangladesh and Turkiye want to extend defence cooperation. It is not only a cooperation of hardware, but also a strategic cooperation. Bangladesh has been purchasing drones, patrol boats, and the like such hardware can be manufactured jointly.”
Regarding the Rohingya crisis, he said, “Turkiye is also facing refugee issues like Bangladesh. We stand beside Bangladesh in various international platforms to address the Rohingya crisis.”
The Turkish ambassador also mentioned that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan might visit Bangladesh after the national election of Turkiye.
“President Erdogan may visit Dhaka at any time after the general election of Turkiye next year,” he added.
The envoy also talked about the economy of Bangladesh and suggested various fields.
“Bangladesh economy cannot stand on the appeal sector alone. Multisectoral and diversified industries are necessary. ICT and pharmaceuticals can be alternative sectors for exports,” he added.