Defence investment and cooperation on agenda
Professor Haluk Görgün, secretary of Turkey’s Defence Industry Agency, arrived in Bangladesh early Tuesday morning. He is expected to pay a courtesy call on Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus today, where they will discuss strengthening defence cooperation, including investment and procurement in the military sector.
Before meeting the chief adviser, Görgün is scheduled to hold talks with General Waker-Uz-Zaman, chief of army staff, Admiral M Nazmul Hassan, chief of naval staff, and Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan, chief of air staff.
Diplomatic sources in Dhaka and Ankara informed Prothom Alo that defence cooperation had been a key topic among others during Turkish Trade Minister Ömer Bolat’s visit to Dhaka in January and then Bangladeshi Foreign Affairs Adviser Tawhid Hossain’s visit to Ankara in April.
Executive chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority Ashiq Chowdhury also visited a Turkish arms factory and held discussions with senior officials there in this May.
Reportedly, Görgün is likely to discuss a wide range of topics as part of increasing cooperation between the two countries’ armed forces, including joint training, research, procurement, and investment.
Turkey’s Defence Industry Agency (SSB), which operates directly under the authority of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, is tasked with developing the country’s defence ties globally. It focuses on areas such as training, military research, and modernisation of armed forces. SSB oversees Turkey’s arms exports and related investments as well.
Haluk Görgün is responsible for managing Turkey’s strategic defence collaborations with other nations, as the SSB plays a direct role in implementing decisions taken by the Defence Industry Executive Committee. The agency acts as the primary decision-making body for Turkey’s defence industry, overseeing weapons design alongside prioritising the matter of transferring technology to different countries.
During his brief visit to Dhaka in January, Turkish Trade Minister Ömer Bolat met with Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, who called for establishing a defence industry in Bangladesh, facilitating technology transfer, and boosting Turkish investment in Bangladesh.
Ömer Bolat had noted that Bangladesh and Turkey can diversify their cooperation across sectors including the textile industry. There is also potential for economic collaboration in defence, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and agricultural machinery sectors.
According to diplomatic sources, under the current framework of defence cooperation, Bangladesh has already procured mine-resistant vehicles, armoured personnel carriers, and rocket defence systems from Turkey. A deal has also been signed for selling automated cannon shells to Bangladesh.
In addition, Turkey has expressed interest in selling military helicopters and tanks to Bangladesh. A Turkish company has transferred shell manufacturing technology to Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory. Besides, proposals have been made for transferring the technology to support the local production of naval and coastguard patrol vessels.