Bangladesh, Turkey foreign secretaries to meet in Dhaka, what issues to focus on

The foreign secretaries of Bangladesh and Turkey are set to hold bilateral talks amid at strengthening political relations, boosting trade and commerce, and transforming defence cooperation into a strategic partnership.

The fourth round of Foreign Secretary-level consultations between the two countries will take place in Dhaka on Tuesday, 7 October.

The meeting will be held at the State Guest House Padma where Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam will lead the Bangladesh side, while Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Berris Ekinci will lead the Turkish delegation.

Berris Ekinci is expected to arrive in Dhaka on 6 October for a two-day visit.

Responsible officials from the foreign ministry told this correspondent that, after attending the bilateral meeting, the Turkish deputy foreign minister may meet with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain, and Adviser for Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources, Road Transport and Bridges, and Railways Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan.

According to diplomatic sources, Berris Ekinci will hold separate meetings with leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Jamaat-e-Islami, and the National Citizen Party (NCP) on the first day of his visit.

Following the political transition in Bangladesh after last year’s mass uprising, Turkey will be the third country to hold Foreign Secretary-level talks with Dhaka. Earlier, Bangladesh held similar meetings with India in December last year and Pakistan in April this year.

Since August last year, several high-level visits have taken place between Bangladesh and Turkey. In January, Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat visited Dhaka and met with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus.

During the meeting, the Chief Adviser urged Turkey to invest in Bangladesh’s defence industry, transfer technology, and expand bilateral investment.

In response, Bolat said that cooperation between Bangladesh and Turkey could be diversified beyond textiles, highlighting opportunities in defence manufacturing, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and agricultural machinery.

In February, Foreign Ministry Secretary (East) Nazrul Islam paid a three-day visit to Ankara, where he met Deputy Foreign Minister Berris Ekinci and senior officials from the finance, trade, defense, health, and industry ministries, as well as from investment agencies and the central bank.

In April, Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain met Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan during the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, where both sides discussed elevating bilateral relations to a new height.

In July, Haluk Gorgun, head of Turkey’s Defence Industry Agency, visited Dhaka and met with Chief Adviser Professor Yunus and Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman. The Bangladesh Army said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that Ankara assured Dhaka of technical and strategic support for developing the defence industry in Bangladesh.

Foreign Ministry officials said that after four high-level visits between Dhaka and Ankara this year, the upcoming Foreign Secretary-level meeting next week is expected to play a key role in advancing discussions on various areas of bilateral partnership.

Ahead of the upcoming Foreign Secretary-level talks between the two countries next week, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held an inter-ministerial meeting in mid-September, chaired by Foreign Ministry Secretary (East) Nazrul Islam.

Regarding this, Nazrul Islam told Prothom Alo that the meeting will cover all aspects of bilateral relations. He said Bangladesh will emphasise expanding trade and commerce.

Defence cooperation has grown significantly in recent years and this will also be a topic of discussion. In addition, issues like energy, agriculture, education, culture, and information technology will be addressed.

Nazrul Islam said bilateral trade between Bangladesh and Turkey currently stands at around $1 billion, with Bangladesh importing most of the goods. He said the upcoming talks will focus on expanding Bangladesh’s exports to Turkey and attracting Turkish investment in various sectors of the country.

Foreign Ministry officials further noted that Bangladesh is exploring ways to utilise Turkey’s advanced agricultural technology to enhance its farming sector. Turkey is also being considered as a new strategic partner in the energy sector.

They pointed out that although Turkey imports energy, it has developed strong capabilities in liquefied natural gas (LNG), renewable energy, and refining technology. Future discussions will include how both countries can collaborate in the energy sector.

During the meeting with Energy Adviser Fouzul Kabir Khan, Ekinci is expected to discuss detailed energy cooperation, including potential Turkish involvement in energy technology and investment.

Diplomatic analysts said Dhaka- Ankara ties have continued to grow closer despite the political transition in Bangladesh in August last year. The upcoming Foreign Secretary-level talks will not only address political cooperation but also focus on strengthening partnerships across multiple sectors.

The meeting is also expected to address evolving regional and global issues, with discussions on how Bangladesh and Turkey can strengthen coordination on shared interests in South Asia and the wider regional and international sphere.