During Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s visit to Istanbul for a meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir stated that the visit was short but very productive.
Anwar conveyed an important message to the Turkish President about the humanitarian issue and the fate of Palestinians in Gaza, emphasizing that Malaysians were deeply concerned and wanted to contribute to resolving the conflict.
Malaysia is Turkiye’s largest trading partner in Asean, with trade reaching US$4.7bil in 2022, a 35% increase from the previous year.
The close ties between Malaysia and Turkiye were further demonstrated through several rounds of discussions between Anwar and Erdogan earlier this year.
During his visit, Anwar met with Turkish Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, and Turkish National Intelligence Organisation director Ibrahim Kalin, before meeting Erdogan.
During every meeting, particularly the two-hour discussion with Erdogan, Anwar highlighted the atrocities committed by Israel and the increasingly marginalized humanitarian situation in Gaza. He also discussed bilateral relations and economic cooperation.
After his visit to Turkiye, Anwar proceeded to Egypt for another two-day working visit.
In a statement, Wisma Putra emphasized that these working visits reflected Malaysia’s unwavering commitment to address the Palestine issue and alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza.
During a press conference in Turkiye, Anwar expressed regret over Western countries that seemed to ignore the humanitarian issue in the region, reaffirming Malaysia’s dedication to championing Palestinian rights.
Anwar praised Turkiye for its efforts in sending medical aid to Gaza despite facing challenges in accessing remote areas, stating that it had become a champion of the humanitarian issue there.
Prior to visiting Turkiye, Anwar had also addressed the ongoing Palestine-Israel conflict during his speech at the inaugural Asean-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit in Riyadh. GCC is a political and economic alliance consisting of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, and Kuwait.
In Egypt, Anwar called for an immediate halt to the attacks on Gaza during his speech at a gathering with the Malaysian diaspora and students in the country.
– Bernama
