Envoy: Türkiye wants to enhance defense cooperation with Bangladesh

Ankara wants to expand Türkiye-Bangladesh defense cooperation by manufacturing weapons and transferring related technology, Türkiye’s envoy said Wednesday.

Ambassador to Dhaka Mustafa Osman Turan was speaking at a special program “Meet the Ambassador” organized by the Centre for Governance Studies, a Bangladeshi think-tank that conducts research and media studies on issues of good governance, corruption, human rights, and democracy.

Defense cooperation is not only about selling more high-tech weapons but also about strategic cooperation, the ambassador said, adding that a Turkish company has already provided shell manufacturing technology to a local company.

The ambassador also emphasized advancements in Turkish companies’ production of defense products over the last 15 years.

Bangladesh has purchased armored personnel carriers, rocket launchers, drones, and many other defense products from Türkiye and can now move on to military equipment production through a joint venture, Turan said.

Such strategic cooperation can be expanded through the navy and coast guard, and Türkiye has made some proposals in this regard, he said, adding, “We have proposed technology transfer for making petrol boats. If approved, nine petrol boats will be built in the Khulna and Chittagong districts of Bangladesh.”

“Bangladesh has purchased vehicle armor from Türkiye, which is one of the best armor security manufacturers. Bangladesh is developing its artillery capacity through defense cooperation purchases,” he added.

The ambassador also informed the audience that Türkiye has so far trained approximately 3,000 Bangladeshi army officers.

He noted that trade and business between the two friendly nations have increased significantly. “When I joined the office three years ago, it was $800 million. Now, it’s around $1.5 billion and it will be $2 billion in the next year or two,” he predicted.

In terms of energy, the diplomat stated that Türkiye will be happy to serve as a transit country for fuel supplies to Bangladesh. Russia has already informed Ankara, he added.

In reference to the Rohingya refugee crisis, the ambassador said Türkiye, like Bangladesh, is experiencing a refugee crisis. Ankara is assisting Dhaka in resolving the Rohingya crisis through various international forums, particularly the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the International Court of Justice.