KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia and Türkiye are poised to enhance their military collaboration by exploring new areas of cooperation, including land, sea, air, cyber, artificial intelligence (AI), and intelligence sharing between their armed forces.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said currently, they did not have a formal defence cooperation agreement.
"It is essential for us to establish such an agreement to facilitate experience sharing and strengthen each other's military readiness," he said after his meeting with Türkiye's Defence Minister Yaşar Güler at Wisma Pertahanan today.
Both ministers agreed to fast-track the finalisation of a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on defence cooperation by the end of the year.
Khaled said that Türkiye, a significant producer of military assets, offered increased training cooperation and technology transfer, which he believes is crucial for Malaysia's defence development.
"This collaboration will provide us with exposure to their military assets, helping us assess their suitability for our needs and operations," he said.
"Türkiye also expressed a desire to move beyond a mere buyer-seller relationship and become a strategic partner, sharing and transferring knowledge and technology."
Khaled also said that Türkiye had shown interest in becoming a dialogue partner with Asean and participating as an observer in Asean Defence Ministers' meetings, which Malaysia supports.
The discussions also covered the ongoing conflict in Palestine, with both nations advocating for a ceasefire and continued humanitarian aid to the region.
Upon arriving at Wisma Pertahanan at 10.45am today, Güler was welcomed by Khaled before inspecting the guard of honour.
Also present were Deputy Defence Minister Adly Zahari, Armed Forces Chief General Tan Sri Mohammad Ab Rahman, Air Force Chief General Tan Sri Mohd Asghar Khan Goriman Khan, and Army Chief General Tan Sri Hafizuddeain Jantan.
Yesterday, Khaled accompanied Güler to Seri Perdana in Putrajaya for a courtesy call with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Güler's visit to Malaysia is part of a reciprocal exchange, following Khaled's visit to Türkiye in June.