Ambassador A. Berris Ekinci, Deputy Foreign Minister of Türkiye paid a courtesy call on Md. Touhid Hossain, Foreign Adviser of Bangladesh at his office on Tuesday (07 October 2025) afternoon. She is currently in Dhaka leading the Turkish delegation to the 4th round of Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between the two countries.
During the meeting, Deputy Minister Ekinci conveyed to the Adviser warm greetings from Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, and reaffirmed Türkiye’s unwavering support for the Interim Government of Bangladesh and its ongoing reform efforts. She also briefed him on the outcomes of the FOC held between the two sides earlier in the day.
The Deputy Minister reiterated Türkiye’s steadfast commitment to providing continued humanitarian assistance to the forcibly displaced Rohingya population residing in Bangladesh and to advocating for their early repatriation to Myanmar.
The Foreign Adviser emphasized the importance of holding the FOC on a regular and timely basis to further strengthen and diversify the multifaceted bilateral relationship. He also underscored the need to boost bilateral trade, with the shared goal of increasing the current trade volume from USD 1.1 billion to USD 3 billion in the near future.
Highlighting the potential for enhanced labour mobility, the Foreign Adviser sought increased opportunities for the recruitment of skilled and semi-skilled Bangladeshi professionals in key sectors such as ICT, engineering, healthcare and software development.
The Adviser and the Deputy Minister also discussed the possibilities for deepening defence cooperation between the two countries. In addition, they laid emphasis on expanding collaboration in the education sector, including through increased scholarship opportunities for Bangladeshi students in Türkiye.
The meeting also included discussions on regional and global issues of mutual concern, reflecting the shared perspectives of both countries on key international developments. Both the Foreign Adviser and the Deputy Foreign Minister reaffirmed their countries’ steadfast solidarity with the Palestinian people in their legitimate pursuit of inalienable rights and self-determination.
