Dhaka, Ankara deepen strategic ties

Bangladesh and Türkiye have agreed to deepen cooperation in defence manufacturing, trade, investment and strategic fields, as the two countries explored the possibility of signing a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and pledged to elevate bilateral relations to a new level.

The commitments came during a joint press conference addressed by Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan at a city hotel in Dhaka on Friday following their bilateral talks. However, no questions from the journalists were entertained.

Describing the visit as taking place at a significant moment in bilateral relations, Dr Rahman said both sides shared a commitment to expanding cooperation and transforming the partnership into a strategic one.

“We shed light on the possibility to sign a free trade agreement with Türkiye. We also discussed the possibility of, in the interim, having a preferential trade agreement,” he said.

The foreign minister noted that bilateral trade remained well below its potential and stressed that there was substantial scope for rapidly increasing trade volumes between the two countries.

Dr Rahman said he had invited Turkish investors to invest in Bangladesh’s private and special economic zones and offered support for establishing a dedicated Turkish special economic zone in the country.

“We pointed out the possible sectors for investment by Türkiye such as textiles and apparels, defence item manufacturing, shipbuilding, pharmaceuticals, infrastructure, renewable energy, ICT, smart technologies and civil aviation,” he said.

We also requested for expansion of cooperation by TIKA (Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency) toward investment Turkish investment promotion agency toward investment trade in industrial partnerships taking advantage of Bangladesh’s current political stability, business-friendly environment and growing domestic market.

He also proposed that Türkiye consider building an international-standard hospital and nursing institute in Dhaka and requested additional scholarships for Bangladeshi students pursuing higher education in the country.

Referring to the government’s foreign policy, Dr Rahman said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was pursuing a “Bangladesh First” approach.

“It means that we have our resolute commitment to safeguarding Bangladesh’s independence, sovereignty, national interest and the welfare of our people,” he said, adding: “Beyond our borders, we’re friends and partners, not masters.

Bangladesh believes strongly in diplomacy based on equality, fairness, and mutual respect.”

The Bangladeshi foreign minister also thanked Türkiye for supporting his successful candidature for the presidency of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.”

I’ll never forget the support, the encouragement and the assistance that I received personally from you,” he told Fidan.

For his part, Fidan congratulated Dr Rahman on his election as President of the 81st UN General Assembly, describing it as a reflection of Bangladesh’s growing international standing.

“This election in the United Nations General Assembly and Bangladesh’s victory is a significant confirmation of the worldwide impact of the new era that has begun in Bangladesh,” he said.

“The result is a very important indicator of the respect the international community holds for Bangladesh.”

The Turkish foreign minister said the two sides had discussed a broad range of issues, including trade, defence cooperation and international affairs.

“We are continuing our efforts toward our goal of deepening our long-standing partnership across a wide range and moving it to a much stronger and more visionary dimension on solid foundations,” he said.

Fidan revealed that both countries were working towards increasing bilateral trade from the current level of approximately $1.3 billion to $2 billion.

“There are steps that can be taken to develop our cooperation in various fields, especially in the defence industry. We went over these one by one,” he said.

During the visit, the two countries also signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the protection of cultural property

The agreement was signed between Türkiye and Bangladesh’s Ministry of Cultural Affairs.

“I hope this text, which is an indicator of our decisions to protect the common heritage of humanity, will be beneficial for our countries,” Fidan said.

The two ministers also discussed regional and global issues, including the Rohingya crisis. Dr Rahman reiterated that Bangladesh’s priority remained the “safe, voluntary, dignified and sustainable repatriation” of Rohingyas to Myanmar.

Fidan praised Bangladesh for hosting more than one million Rohingya refugees and pledged continued Turkish humanitarian and diplomatic support.

“Bangladesh has displayed a historical sacrifice on behalf of all humanity,” he said.

Both ministers expressed optimism that the visit would open new avenues for cooperation and accelerate efforts to strengthen economic, strategic and people-to-people ties between the two nations.

“There is no reason why we should not have very rapid actions to take our relationship to very different heights in the future,” Dr Rahman said.

The Turkish foreign minister later travelled to Cox’s Bazar to visit Rohingya camps and inspect humanitarian projects supported by Turkish agencies, including healthcare facilities serving displaced Myanmar nationals.

Fidan during his two-day visit is also scheduled to call on Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Saturday before leaving Dhaka.