Kuala Lumpur - Ankara Dialogue 2026 | Anchored in History, Aligned for Tomorrow

In the first Kuala Lumpur-Ankara Dialogue, ISIS Malaysia and SETA Foundation gather policy visionaries and movers who are keen observers and shapers of Ankara and Putrajaya’s six-decade partnership and how their mutual interests impact on geopolitics and geoeconomics in their regions. The event aims to set the tone and standard for open and closed dialogues on Malaysia-Türkiye relations and West Asia-related issues.

Recognising the scarcity of specialists relative to the growing interest and needs on both sides, the dialogue offers a space for interlocutors from Malaysia, Türkiye and regional neighbours to identify each other’s aspirations and strengths. The goal is advance collaborations in diplomacy, defence and security, trade, technology, and cultural and educational exchanges. Embodying the partnership spirit between Malaysia and Türkiye’s leading strategic studies think-tanks, the dialogue seeks to deepen mutual understanding of the political and cultural sensibilities underlying each partner’s decisions.

EVENT PROGRAM

OPENING REMARKS

Datuk Prof Dr Mohd Faiz Abdullah
Executive Chairman
Institute of Strategic & International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia

Prof Dr Nebi Miş
General Coordinator
Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA), Türkiye

Session 1: What do Malaysia-Türkiye relations look like?

The first session is “basic” by design and turns the typical strategic analysis discourse on its head by asking individuals who have dealt with aspects of Malaysia-Türkiye cooperation in a professional capacity to reflect on real-life examples of the bilateral relationship. The focus is not on crisis management but specific and unique challenges in bilateral interactions that, if not arrested, could impede the acceleration of Malaysia-Türkiye cooperation. Four experts will illustrate challenging moments in the cooperation and how they were resolved.  

Moderator
Assoc Prof Dr Hatice Çelik
Director of the ASEAN Application and Research Centre
Social Sciences University of Ankara

Speakers
Arividya Arimuthu
Senior Fellow
Institute of Strategic & International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia

Lt-Gen (rtd) Datuk Johnny Lim Eng Seng
Malaysian Armed Forces

Assoc Prof Dr Murat Aslan
Researcher
Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA), Türkiye

Dr Ferhat Durmaz
Assistant Professor
Faculty of Political Sciences
Ankara University, Türkiye

CONVERSATION WITH THE PRIME MINISTER

Keynote address by The Honourable Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim

Moderator
Datuk Prof Dr Mohd Faiz Abdullah

Session 2: Geopolitics in West Asia and how Malaysia-Türkiye interests overlap therein

Ankara’s military power and political clout are increasingly felt in West Asia. President Recep Erdoğan’s 2023 Gulf tour signalled a reset of Türkiye’s relations with Saudi Arabia and the UAE as well as the prioritisation of Arab/West Asian countries under his administration. Türkiye is one of the few Muslim-majority states that recognises Israel, which disagrees with Türkiye on Palestine and Syria. On the other hand,because of its limited weight in West Asian geopolitics, Putrajaya has been directing its efforts towards humanitarian assistance for Gaza and Syrian refugees in Syria and Türkiye, and sending aid to earthquake victims in 2023. This session addresses West Asian successes and crises most pertinent to Malaysia’s and Türkiye’s separate and collective interests. The speakers will concentrate on Arabian Gulf dynamics, Palestine, Syria, Iran and humanitarian assistance. What are Ankara’s goals in its dealings with Iran, Israel and the Arab nations? Do Malaysian and Turkish interests overlap in any of West Asia’s geopolitical development?

Moderator
Siti Farhana Sheikh Yahya
News Anchor
Astro Awani

Speakers
Dr Kadir Temiz
President
Centre for Middle Eastern Studies (ORSAM), Türkiye

Dr Adel Abdel Ghafar
Director of Foreign Policy Programme
Middle East Council on Global Affairs, Qatar

Dr Raihan Ismail
Professor of Contemporary Islamic Studies
University of Oxford, United Kingdom

Dr Mustafa Caner
Foreign Policy Researcher
Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA), Türkiye

Session 3: Defence technology transfer and procurement deals

Featuring military and civilian leaders of the defence industry, this session will discuss Türkiye-Malaysia defence cooperation within the context of Mindef’s January 2026 assertion that “the top leadership of the MAF is not only responsible for ensuring operational readiness and effectiveness but also entrusted with strengthening public confidence in the nation’s defence institution.” Panellists will also contextualise these developments within the ASEAN defence, military and security risks and solutions. 

Moderator
Prof Dr Gürol Baba
Dean, Faculty of Political Science
Social Sciences University of Ankara, Türkiye

Speakers
Dr Kogila Balakrishnan
Director, Policy and Engagement, Business Development (Southeast Asia)
Warwick Manufacturing Group
University of Warwick, United Kingdom

Rıfat Öncel
Researcher
Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA), Türkiye

Dr Curie Maharani Savitri
Assistant Professor of Security Studies
Department of International Relations
Binus University, Indonesia

Thomas Daniel
Director of Foreign Policy and Security Studies
Institute of Strategic & International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia

Closing remarks

Datuk Prof Dr Mohd Faiz Abdullah
Executive Chairman
Institute of Strategic & International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia

Prof Dr Nebi Miş
General Coordinator
Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA), Türkiye