Tarique-Erdogan meeting in Antalya today as Dhaka-Ankara ties grow closer
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Antalya, Türkiye, today, Tuesday.
The two leaders are scheduled to meet at 6:30pm local time at the Maxx Royal Hotel in Antalya. Diplomatic sources in Dhaka confirmed the information to Prothom Alo.
According to diplomatic sources in Dhaka, since the BNP government took office, relations between Dhaka and Ankara have grown closer through reciprocal visits by the two countries' foreign ministers, a visit to Türkiye by the Bangladesh Army chief and high-level contacts. Today's meeting is a continuation of that process.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman left Dhaka for Antalya this morning to attend the United Nations climate change conference (COP31). During the official visit from 10 to 12 November, the prime minister will lead the Bangladesh delegation. He will deliver Bangladesh's statement at the plenary session of the conference on 12 November.
On the sidelines of the conference, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman may hold bilateral meetings with the leaders of several countries, including the Turkish president.
This will be Tarique Rahman's second meeting with President Erdogan since he took office as prime minister.
The two leaders first met at the Turkish House in New York on 22 September, on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. At the meeting, Erdogan called for placing bilateral relations on a more institutional footing. He emphasised expanding cooperation in the defence industry and increasing bilateral trade.
In early June, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan visited Dhaka. On the final day of his visit, he paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. During the meeting, Fidan said his visit was the first step towards elevating relations between the two countries to a strategic level.
Following the meeting, the two countries announced the formation of a joint committee at the ministerial level on defence and foreign affairs. The two sides also agreed to hold annual meetings between their foreign ministers and regular meetings involving the foreign and defence ministers.
During his visit to Dhaka, Fidan held a joint press conference with Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman. Khalilur Rahman thanked Türkiye for supporting Bangladesh's bid for the presidency of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Contacts between the two countries in the defence sector have increased over the past few years.
In July, Bangladesh Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman visited Türkiye. During the five-day official visit, meetings focused on the existing friendly relations between the two countries, bilateral defence cooperation, military training, defence technology, cooperation in the defence industry, capacity building and various issues of mutual interest.
Both sides expressed interest in further expanding professional ties, exchanging experiences and strengthening defence cooperation between their armed forces in the future. As part of the visit, the army chief also inspected the operations of several leading defence industry and military technology institutions in Türkiye.
The Rohingya issue also features in Bangladesh–Türkiye discussions. At the meeting in New York, Erdogan praised Bangladesh for sheltering more than one million Rohingya. He expressed his country's commitment to continuing humanitarian assistance in areas including shelter, education and infrastructure for the Rohingya.
High-level contacts between the two countries have increased since the BNP government took office in February. Türkiye was represented at the swearing-in ceremony on 17 February by Deputy Foreign Minister Beris Ekinci.
After taking office, Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman made his first bilateral visit to Turkey on 14 March. During his meeting with Hakan Fidan in Ankara, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the diplomatic training institutes of the two countries. Khalilur Rahman also attended the Antalya Diplomacy Forum from 17 to 19 April. Hakan Fidan made his first visit to Dhaka in June.