Turkey reiterates commitment to Rohingya repatriation, pledges stronger ties with Bangladesh

Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Ambassador A Berris Ekinci has reiterated her country's steadfast commitment to providing continued humanitarian assistance to the forcibly displaced Rohingya population in Bangladesh and to advocating for their early repatriation to Myanmar.

Ekinci made the assurance during a courtesy call on Md Touhid Hossain, foreign affairs adviser of Bangladesh, at his office this afternoon (7 October), according to a press release.

The deputy minister, who is leading the Turkish delegation to the 4th round of foreign office consultations (FOC) between the two countries, also conveyed warm greetings from Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and reaffirmed Turkey's support for the interim government of Bangladesh and its reform initiatives. She briefed the adviser on the outcomes of the consultations held earlier in the day.

Touhid stressed the importance of holding the FOC on a regular basis to further strengthen and diversify the multifaceted bilateral relationship.

He also highlighted the need to boost bilateral trade, with the shared goal of raising the current trade volume from $1.1 billion to $3 billion in the near future.

Touhid further underscored the potential for enhanced labour mobility and sought greater opportunities for Bangladeshi professionals in ICT, engineering, healthcare and software development.

Both sides discussed the scope for deepening defence cooperation and expanding collaboration in education, including more scholarships for Bangladeshi students in Turkey.

The meeting also touched on regional and global issues of mutual concern, with both Bangladesh and Turkey reaffirming their solidarity with the Palestinian people in their pursuit of inalienable rights and self-determination.