Türkiye and Malaysia on Tuesday worked to strengthen their defense cooperation as Defense Minister Yaşar Güler met his Malaysian counterpart Dato Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin on the second day of his official visit to Kuala Lumpur.

Upon arrival at the Malaysian Ministry of Defense, Güler was greeted with a military ceremony, saluting the Guard of Honor and signing the Book of Honor, according to a statement from the Turkish National Defense Ministry on X.

The visit follows a meeting on Monday between Güler and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, with Güler accompanied by Ibrahim Kalin, head of Turkish intelligence.

This diplomatic engagement marks a significant step in strengthening defense ties between Türkiye and Malaysia, as both countries work to enhance their bilateral relations.

In 2023, Güler highlighted Malaysia and Türkiye as strategic partners in Southeast Asia, noting that their relationship is built on historical and cultural ties, and the principles of mutual respect and cooperation.

Defense ties, among other fields of cooperation, have been growing between Ankara and Kuala Lumpur in recent years.

Most recently, Malaysia signed a memorandum of understanding to purchase three Turkish corvette warships in June. The construction will start this year, and the ships will be delivered to the Malaysian Navy within three-and-a-half years.

Moreover, Turkish Aerospace Industries last year agreed to export unmanned aerial vehicle systems worth $100 million to the Malaysian Air Force.

Diplomatic relations between Türkiye and Malaysia were established in 1964. Both countries enjoy a broad-based and close partnership. On Jan. 10, 2014, then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak declared the elevation of the bilateral relationship to the level of strategic partnership, which is the result of the progress achieved since the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries, as well as the depth of political, economic and cultural ties.

As members of the United Nations, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the D-8, Türkiye and Malaysia share a common perspective on a broad range of regional and global issues.

Malaysia also constitutes a significant country for Türkiye’s regional initiative, Asia Anew.