Bangladesh and Turkey are looking towards a “brighter future” with vast areas of cooperation, Turkish Ambassador to Bangladesh Mustafa Osman Turan said during a virtual dialogue on Thursday.
Moreover, there is room for the two countries to make their own influence for the betterment of international relations, the ambassador said while delivering his keynote speech at Cosmos Dialogue held virtually.
Turkish envoy added that they are actually collaborating with all the great powers that are pursuing certain policies but they have no attachment to any of the sides.
“So, I think that provides us with a neutral position and the possibility for a reliable partnership with Bangladesh. I’m particularly pleased to see the benefits of this position in our defence cooperation,” said Ambassador Turan.
Cosmos Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Cosmos Group, hosted the dialogue titled “Bangladesh-Turkey Relations: Prognosis for the Future” as part of its ongoing Ambassadors' Lecture Series.
The opening remarks were delivered by Cosmos Foundation Chairman Enayetullah Khan. The session was chaired by renowned scholar-diplomat and former Advisor on Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh Caretaker Government Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury.
Research Fellow and Head, Bangladesh Centre for Terrorism Research (BCTR) at Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS) Shafqat Munir, Professor at Department of International Relations, Dhaka University Dr Lailufar Yasmin and Honorary Advisor Emeritus, Cosmos Foundation Ambassador (Retd) Tariq A Karim comprised the panel of discussants.
Ambassador Turan said one needs to go beyond “symbolic gestures” in international relations and the two countries really need to base relations on mutual interests.
He thinks the government of Bangladesh is very happy to collaborate with them in this “geostrategic competition” over expanding the sphere of influence in this part of the world.
He said Turkey positions itself not on any of the sides of this equilibrium. Rather like Bangladesh, Turkey tries to pursue a middle path - not taking sides between the Indo-Pacific policy or Belt and Road initiative.
Lauding Bangladesh’s journey in the last 50 years, Ambassador Turan said it has been remarkable in the sense that it has provided hope not just for the people in Bangladesh, but also for its friends and partners.
“Now, I think we can develop the partnership that is mutually beneficial in many fields, not just in the garments industry, but also in emerging sectors such as pharmaceuticals industry, health sector and ICT sector,” he said, adding that obviously defense industry is prominent in the list.
Commending Ambassador Turan’s relentless endeavours in cementing the bilateral relations, Enayetullah Khan said the future of the relationship has never looked brighter than it does today.
With capable leadership and seasoned diplomats such as Ambassador Turan helming the ship, Khan said he truly believes this time they will not miss the opportunity.
Under current Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, relations between Dhaka and Ankara have grown stronger, Khan said.
He said it is well-known that Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was inspired by the bravery and vision for a secular Muslim-majority country of the 20th century espoused by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the modern Turkish state.
Highlighting Turkey’s role over the Rohingya issue, Khan said it is President Erdogan's strong and consistent stance on the Rohingya issue since it exploded onto the international stage in 2017, with nearly a million refugees crossing the border into Bangladesh to seek shelter here that Bangladeshis find most praiseworthy.
His leadership within the OIC, in which both countries play important roles, was instrumental in fellow member state, The Gambia moving the International Court of Justice in 2019, to bring charges of ethnic cleansing and genocide against the Myanmar army, in their treatment of the Rohingya, Khan said.
Deeply impressed by Ambassador Turan’s commitment and dedication to strengthen the relations, Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury said he is sure Ambassador Turan’s contribution will take the bilateral relations to yet greater heights.
He said Turkey has inspired them in many ways and today, President Erdogan occupies a “permanent niche” in their hearts.
Dr Iftekhar said Bangladesh and Turkey have exceedingly high order of bilateral relations be it politics, economics, cultural linkages, common values, aspirations or shared ideas – ideas both domestically, and in the wider arena of foreign relations.
Highlighting the importance of D-8 (Developing-8), the foreign affairs analyst stressed the immense potential of this grouping, if appropriately tapped at a personal level.
Shafqat Munir appreciated the role of Turkish Ambassador Turan in strengthening the ties between the two nations. “Under his (Turan’s) leadership, the Embassy of Turkey in Bangladesh has done a tremendous job in taking Turkey Bangladesh relations to greater heights. Every day when we read about new strides being achieved in the relationship, it’s really very impressive.”
Defence Cooperation
The security analyst said defence and security cooperation is an area where the Embassy, Ankara and Dhaka are attaching a lot of importance to.
Munir said Bangladesh’s cooperation on defence and security is no longer between the armed forces alone.
The security expert said right from the 70s, Bangladesh and Turkey have had very significant military exchanges.
“But what we’re seeing right now is an up-scaling in terms of bilateral cooperation, particularly in the area of defence acquisition and technology,” he observed.
Similarly, he said, there are already talks underway between Bangladesh and Turkey based on the recent agreement that has been signed to acquire ships in the maritime space and there is also talk about enhancing Air Force cooperation as well.
“As we look at enhanced defence and security cooperation, I think there's an opportunity or there’s a need for our two strategic communities to come together and actually discuss more with each other about our worldview how we look at regional and global affairs and seek a common understanding on many of these issues,” the expert said.
As the Rohingya crisis enters its fifth year, he said, Bangladesh will continue to see Ankara’s cooperation and support, both in the global forum or elsewhere also within the OIC, to seek a peaceful solution to this problem.
Dr Lailufar Yasmin said Turkey has taken a proactive foreign policy as a middle power is a transcontinental country itself. “So, we believe that as a middle power, Turkey with this image, geopolitical situation, geopolitical standing and location, it’ll be able to play a sort of our proactive role in international politics.”
Echoing other speakers, she said there had not been a better time and a better chapter in Turkey-Bangladesh relations than exists now.
Turkey has taken up its “Asia Anew Initiative” that is re-engaging with Asia as its foreign policy priority. “That actually puts Bangladesh in a very favorable position, Dr Lailufar said.
Talking about technology transfer or joint ventures, she said, these are the areas that Bangladesh defence sector can benefit from.
Ambassador Tariq Karim agreed on what the Turkish Ambassador said to have focused beyond the symbolism. “I agree totally with that. I already see a large degree of cooperation emerging from that and much of that has already been covered by Shafqat (Munir) and Lailufar (Yasmin).”
Middle Power
The former diplomat said Turkey is a middle power, not just in the sense of the conventional IR (international relationship).
“It's a middle power. It's a bridging power. It has a bridging role between East and West. And we’re a bridge between South and Southeast Asia and East Asia. We both have this role to play,” he said.
Tariq Karim said they see a commonality in ensuring the Indo-Pacific (I don’t mean the Indo-Pacific in the sense it's being touted by certain Western powers).
On vaccine sharing and vaccine development, he said this is an area where the two countries can join forces together.
