LETTERS: AS a Turkish citizen who has been studying here since 2013, I consider Malaysia to be my second home.
The first place I would consider home in Malaysia is the International Islamic University (IIUM) in Gombak and the place I consider to be my current home is Universiti Malaya.
Through friends and my own initiative, I have journeyed to Johor Baru, Kelantan, Sabah, and Sarawak, and this gave me wonderful memories. I have also discovered that Malaysians are well aware of world affairs.
In this regard, Malaysian Muslims have a great deal of empathy towards other Muslims, including the Palestinians, Rohingya and the Uighur. Therefore, Malaysia deserves recognition for its awareness of Muslims and their problems.
Recently, Malaysia, Pakistan, and Turkey agreed to work together in the fight against global Islamophobia. It is at this time of prejudice, economic and political uncertainty and unfairness in global affairs that individuals and groups should come together and rally behind these three nations through every possible platform.
I chose the Sabiha Gökçen Airport in Istanbul, which is the second biggest in Turkey, as an example of the growing trust between these two nations. It is clear that relationship between Malaysia and Turkey is increasing, and Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) is one of the companies that invested in Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (ISG) in 2008.
MAHB acquired all of the ISG stakes in 2014, with the airport welcoming around 35 millon passengers a year. This number is expected to grow to 60 million in the near future. Sabiha Gökçen Airport has received many awards, including the Airport of the Year Award from the Center of Asia Pacific Aviation this year.
There have been cultural and educational exchanges between Malaysia and Turkey, with Turkish students preferring to attend IIUM and Universiti Malaya, and Malaysian students choosing universities in Istanbul. Universiti Malaya is occupying a respectable place in the QS Global World Ranking (70th) and the Asia University Ranking 2019 (38th).
Malaysia is an important place for Muslims and Muslim students. In this scope, IIUM has a wonderful reputation, while UM has been ranking higher over the last few years. I have met many students from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Bosnia, Indonesia, Russia and Central Asia.
I also got to know many non-Muslims from different countries. Clearly, through education, Malaysia can be a leader in the Muslim world in collaboration with other Muslim nations such as Turkey and Pakistan.
With Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visiting Malaysia for the Kuala Lumpur Summit, I hope that wonderful decisions for collective goals will be decided here.
As a writer with Daily Sabah, a Turkish newspaper published
in English in Turkey, I have written articles about Malaysia and will try my best to introduce Malaysia to the Turkish people.
I hope Malaysia will be a leading player in the regional and global arena. To achieve goals for future generations, we must work together and collaborate deeper.
MUHAMMET ALI GULER
Universiti Malaya
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times