Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan yesterday described his visit as the “first step” towards elevating Bangladesh-Türkiye relations to a “strategic” level.
During a courtesy call on Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the Prime Minister’s Office, Fidan also conveyed greetings from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, according to the foreign ministry.
The two sides agreed to hold annual Foreign Office Consultations at the level of foreign ministers and to introduce annual 2+2 consultations involving the foreign and defence ministers of both countries.
They also decided to establish a consultation mechanism in the form of a committee under their respective foreign ministers, involving relevant ministries from both sides, with the aim of further strengthening political, economic and strategic cooperation.
The meeting reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral relations, with discussions focusing particularly on the Rohingya issue, climate change, trade and investment, joint production and cooperation, and regional and international issues of mutual interest.
Tarique thanked Fidan for the visit and invited President Erdoğan to visit Bangladesh at a mutually convenient time in the near future.
According to the PM’s Press Wing, the prime minister also expressed appreciation for Türkiye’s continued support to Bangladesh, particularly its backing of Bangladesh’s candidate for the presidency of the 81st UN General Assembly session.
From the Bangladesh side, Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed, and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir attended the meeting.
The meeting marked the final engagement of Fidan’s official visit to Bangladesh.
In a message posted on his verified X account after wrapping up the visit, Fidan said Türkiye was determined to expand cooperation across all sectors in the coming period and would continue supporting Bangladesh with the same strong commitment.
Referring to his visit to the Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar, the Turkish foreign minister said Bangladesh was shouldering a major responsibility by hosting more than one million Rohingya Muslims and that their shared goal remained a lasting and just solution to the crisis.
During his visit to Cox’s Bazar, Fidan also inspected the activities of Türkiye’s Ministry of Health, TİKA, the Turkish Red Crescent, the Turkish Religious Affairs Foundation and other Turkish institutions operating on the ground. He also met healthcare personnel working at the Türkiye–Bangladesh Humanitarian Aid Hospital.
Fidan arrived in Dhaka from Seoul on Thursday night on a three-day official visit.
On Friday, he held bilateral talks with Khalilur at a hotel in Dhaka before travelling to Cox’s Bazar to observe the situation of Rohingya refugees.
The Turkish foreign minister was scheduled to leave Dhaka later yesterday.