Bangladesh and Turkey have agreed to establish a new ministerial‑level joint mechanism covering defence and foreign affairs, marking a major step toward upgrading their bilateral relationship into a full strategic partnership. The announcement came after talks in Dhaka between Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who is on a three‑day visit as part of a broader diplomatic tour of East and South Asia.
According to Bangladesh’s state news agency, the new committee will hold annual consultations and coordinate cooperation across political, security, and diplomatic domains. Both sides also agreed to institutionalise regular dialogue between their defence and foreign ministries — a move aimed at strengthening long‑term strategic planning.
Fidan conveyed greetings from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and extended an invitation for him to visit Bangladesh soon. He also held bilateral talks with Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman before travelling to Cox’s Bazar, where he visited Rohingya refugee camps and reiterated Ankara’s continued humanitarian support.
The discussions covered a wide range of issues, including the Rohingya crisis, climate change, trade and investment, joint defence production, and regional developments. Prime Minister Rahman thanked Turkey for backing Bangladesh’s candidate for the presidency of the 81st UN General Assembly, calling Ankara a reliable partner in multilateral forums.
Fidan’s visit is being seen as the first concrete step toward elevating Bangladesh–Turkey ties to a strategic partnership. Both nations have expanded defence cooperation in recent years, with Turkey emerging as a key supplier of military equipment to Dhaka.
The new mechanism is expected to accelerate collaboration in defence technology, security coordination, and foreign policy alignment — signalling a deeper geopolitical convergence between the two countries.