The South China Morning Post reported on November 15 that Bangladesh and Turkey are advancing cooperation in defense, culture, and other areas, with their bilateral relations rapidly warming up. After the dramatic political changes in Bangladesh in 2024, relations with India quickly cooled down. At the same time, Bangladesh's chief advisor to the interim government, Muhammad Yunus, has clearly stated that he will "further deepen" relations with Turkey. In the defense sector, Haluk Gorgun, head of Turkey's defense industry, visited Bangladesh in July, while General Waker-Uz-Zaman, Chief of the Bangladesh Army, is planning to visit Turkey in November to discuss joint production of military equipment. Furthermore, Bangladesh has shown interest in Turkish drone technology and hopes to strengthen defense cooperation with Turkey to reduce reliance on China. In the cultural field, Turkish TV dramas have seen a continuous rise in viewership in Bangladesh and have now surpassed Indian TV series; the number of Turkish restaurants in Dhaka has increased; and several Bangladeshi universities have introduced Turkish language courses. Analysts said that although the two countries' relations are "becoming more solid," they have faced setbacks twice: one was Turkey's pro-Pakistan stance during Bangladesh's liberation war in 1971, and the second was Turkey's intervention in the trial of its "war criminals" in Bangladesh in 2013. It is worth noting that although Bangladesh-Turkey cooperation areas are deepening, the scale of bilateral trade remains limited.
Original source: www.toutiao.com/article/1848961928655884/
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