Army chief calls on Minister of Turkey’s defense industries

Chief of Army Staff of Bangladesh Army General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed on Thursday has met Turkey's Defense Industries minister Ismail Demir, and Deputy Minister of National Defense Muhsin Dere.

During the meetings in Turkey, the Army chief said that there have been long-standing strategic friendships and cultural ties between the military forces of Turkey and Bangladesh. He also hoped that these relations would reach new heights in the future, said an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) media statement on Friday.

The Army chief said that his official visit to Turkey on the occasion of the International Defense Fair 2021 would open new opportunities of cooperation between the military forces of the two countries especially the Armed Forces.

He thanked both the president of the Turkish defense industries and the deputy minister of National Defense for inviting him.

Ismail Demir, Minister of defense industries, assured that he would look into the ongoing issues with Bangladesh on behalf of his organization, and provide necessary assistance so that future defense cooperation between the two countries would be more friendly and beneficial.

The army chief, who is leading an eight-member delegation, will pay a courtesy call on the Chief of General Staff of the Turkish Armed.

The Army chief is set to return home on August 26.

Turkey's Deputy Minister Muhsin Dere expressed his country's commitment to further cooperation, and assistance to Bangladesh in the field of military equipment as well as training of military personnel and technology exchange.

Bangladesh became the fourth-largest arms buyer from Turkey, reportedly receiving up to $60 million in weapons from Ankara's roughly $1 billion in defense products exports in the first four months of 2021.