Turkish Foreign Affairs Minister Hakan Fidan on Saturday said his visit constituted the "first step" towards elevating Bangladesh-Türkiye relations to a "strategic" level.
During a courtesy meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office, Minister Fidan also conveyed President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s greetings to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman thanked the Turkish Foreign Minister for undertaking the visit.
He extended an invitation to President Erdoğan to visit Bangladesh at a mutually convenient time in the near future.
Both sides agreed to hold annual Foreign Office Consultations at the level of Foreign Ministers.
It was also decided that annual 2+2 consultations would be held involving the Foreign and Defence Ministers of both countries.
In addition, with a view to further strengthening political, economic, and strategic cooperation between the two countries, a consultation mechanism in the form of a committee would be established under the respective Foreign Ministers, involving the relevant ministries of each side, the Ministry said.
The meeting reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations.
Discussions focused particularly on the Rohingya issue, climate change, trade and investment, joint production and cooperation, and regional and international matters of mutual interest.
From the Bangladesh side, Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed, and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir were present at the meeting.
The meeting marked the final engagement of the Turkish Foreign Minister’s two-day official visit to Bangladesh.
Solidarity in Difficult Times
The Turkish Foreign Minister said the friendship between Bangladesh and Türkiye goes beyond common interests; it is a friendship between two nations that have shown solidarity in difficult times. “We will continue to strengthen this bond even further.”
“Throughout our visit, we witnessed the strong potential of Bangladesh, which has entered a new era following the elections in February, and the great efforts being made to ensure that our Bangladeshi brothers and sisters live in peace, prosperity, and stability,” he said in a message shared from his verified X account while wrapping up his Bangladesh visit.
Minister Fidan said they observed that relations between the two countries are built on extremely solid foundations, befitting their fraternal ties.
The Turkish Foreign Minister said they are determined to enhance cooperation in all areas in the coming period and will continue to support their Bangladeshi brothers and sisters with the same strong commitment.
“I extend my heartfelt thanks to the Bangladeshi authorities and people, especially my esteemed brother Dr Khalilur Rahman, for their warm hospitality,” he said, once again congratulating his counterpart on his recent election as President of the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
“We are confident that he will fulfill this important task with great success.”
Referring to his visit to the Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar, the Turkish Foreign Minister said Bangladesh is shouldering a great responsibility by hosting more than one million Rohingya Muslims, and that their common goal is to find a lasting and just solution to the Rohingya crisis.
In Cox’s Bazar, Minister Fidan also inspected the work of Türkiye’s Ministry of Health, TİKA, the Turkish Red Crescent, the Turkish Religious Affairs Foundation, and other institutions on the ground.
“We met with our healthcare personnel working at the Türkiye-Bangladesh Humanitarian Aid Hospital,” he said.
The Turkish Minister extended his sincerest thanks to all personnel working under difficult conditions for their dedication, sacrifice, and exemplary efforts in serving humanity.