Bangladesh’s relations with Turkey are set to reach new heights following the Dhaka visit of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who during his two-day tour met with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman and other high-level government officials.
Although both countries agreed to boost bilateral relations and open new opportunities for cooperation in trade, investment, development and regional affairs, the major focus of the talks was defence cooperation and the Rohingya repatriation issue.
To expand bilateral trade, both sides discussed the possibility of signing a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) or a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) with the aim of increasing trade volume to $2 billion from the current level of around $1.3 billion. At present, Bangladesh's annual exports, mainly ready-made garments and textiles, to Turkey are valued at roughly $500 million to $600 million, while Bangladesh's major imports from Turkey are raw cotton, industrial machinery and chemical products.
However, in order to facilitate Turkish companies' establishment of manufacturing bases in Bangladesh, Dhaka has proposed a dedicated Turkish Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and sought expanded engagement by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) in investment, trade and industrial partnerships.
In this connection, Bangladesh has already identified several promising sectors for Turkish investment, including textiles and apparel, defence manufacturing, shipbuilding, pharmaceuticals, infrastructure, renewable energy, information and communication technology (ICT). There is also the possibility of setting up international-standard hospitals and nursing institutes in Dhaka with Turkish cooperation.
Most importantly, Turkey has shown keen interest in strengthening military cooperation with Bangladesh. Turkey has much to offer in developing our defence industry, particularly in the manufacture of and technology transfer related to drones, rocket systems and electronic warfare equipment, since in recent years Turkey has emerged as one of the world's leading powers in the export of drones, missiles, radars and armoured vehicles.
Turkey has already established a foothold in military supplies to Bangladesh by offering Bayraktar TB2 drones. In 2022, Bangladesh’s armed forces signed an agreement with Turkey’s Baykar Technology to buy Bayraktar TB2 drones which are being seen as a major enhancement of Bangladesh’s military capability.
Additionally, Bangladesh has also received mine-protected vehicles, multi-dimensional rocket defence systems and various other types of military hardware from Turkey, including ground surveillance radars, armoured vehicles, portable jammers, missile launch systems and Oerlikon Skyguard radar systems.
With the advancement of defence cooperation, both countries are now looking into the possibility of establishing a joint defence industry in Dhaka.
On the Rohingya crisis, the Turkish foreign minister reiterated Ankara’s continued support for their safe, voluntary and dignified return to Myanmar, with a promise to keep the Rohingya issue on the international agenda and find a lasting solution to this prolonged humanitarian catastrophe.
With renewed cooperation in multiple sectors, it is hoped that bilateral ties between Bangladesh and Turkey will grow further in the years to come.
