Tevfik Dönmez, Member of the Board of Directors of the Independent Industrialists and Businessmen Association (MÜSİAD), noted that exports to Malaysia have increased by 275 percent over the past 10 years and said, "The foreign trade figures between Türkiye and Malaysia point to a significant achievement. Türkiye's exports to Malaysia, which stood at only USD 98 million in 2008, rose to USD 365 million in 2018."

Commercial relations between the two countries were addressed at the Seminar on Business and Investment Opportunities in Malaysia, organized by MÜSİAD and the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK).

In his speech at the seminar, MÜSİAD Board Member Dönmez said that the first thing that comes to mind when Malaysia is mentioned is Kuala Lumpur, its cultural and financial capital, adding that Kuala Lumpur is also a sister city of Ankara.

Noting that Türkiye maintains comprehensive and close relations with Malaysia, with which diplomatic ties were established in 1964, Dönmez said, "Our President and the then Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak signed a joint declaration on 10 January 2014 on raising bilateral relations to the level of strategic partnership. This strategic partnership, established on the 50th anniversary of the founding of our diplomatic relations, is an indicator of Türkiye-Malaysia relations, which follow a positive course on bilateral and multilateral platforms."

Mutual Trade Between the Two Countries Is Growing

Emphasizing that Malaysian companies have significant investments in the energy, airport, insurance and health sectors in Türkiye, Tevfik Dönmez said, "Malaysia is an important partner of ours in the Southeast Asia region in terms of our defence industry cooperation."

Dönmez shared the following assessments regarding the commercial relations between the two countries:

"There is significant economic activity between the two countries. In the 2002-2018 period, direct investments from Malaysia to Türkiye amounted to USD 896 million, while direct investments from Türkiye to Malaysia in the same period stood at USD 87 million. The foreign trade figures between Türkiye and Malaysia point to a significant achievement. Türkiye's exports to Malaysia, which stood at only USD 98 million in 2008, rose by 27 percent compared to the previous year to reach USD 365 million in 2018. Thus we see that our exports to Malaysia have increased by 275 percent within 10 years. This is a very significant achievement."

Stating that MÜSİAD successfully represents Türkiye abroad, Dönmez noted that as MÜSİAD they carry out their activities in 94 countries around the world through 224 contact points, and that they aim to make the maximum contribution to the countries in which they are present.

Dönmez said that they do not focus solely on expanding trade volume, but also strive to increase the number of people they reach in every corner of the world.

"We Must Carry Our Investments Further"

MÜSİAD Board Member Dönmez stated that when the mutual investments and trade figures between the two countries are considered, they see a gratifying picture, and said, "We must not be content with this and should carry our investments further. As MÜSİAD, I would like to state that we will continue to provide all the support and effort we can at this point, as we always have."

Ceyhun Süer, a member of the DEİK Türkiye-Malaysia Business Council, said that all stakeholders need to cooperate so that the commercial cooperation between the two countries continues with new solution partnerships.

Arham Abdul Rahman, Deputy Chairman of the Malaysian Investment Development Authority, meanwhile provided information on the support offered to visiting investors in his country. Rahman also invited Turkish business people to invest in his country.