Türkiye's Fidan to visit Bangladesh for bilateral talks, Rohingya aid

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will pay an official two-day visit to Bangladesh on Friday at the invitation of his counterpart Khalilur Rahman, marking his first trip to Dhaka since assuming office, according to diplomatic sources. During his stay through Saturday, Fidan is expected to meet with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and hold comprehensive talks with Foreign Minister Rahman, while also visiting refugee camps in Cox's Bazar — where more than 1 million Rohingya Muslims displaced by Myanmar's conflict are currently sheltered.

The minister will inspect humanitarian projects carried out by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency, the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority, the Turkish Red Crescent and the Turkish Diyanet Foundation, and visit the Turkish Field Hospital operating in the camps since 2018. He is also expected to review healthcare, education and infrastructure initiatives supported by Türkiye's Health Ministry.

Humanitarian assistance

Fidan will reiterate Ankara's determination to keep the Rohingya crisis among the leading items on the global agenda and highlight extensive Turkish humanitarian assistance that has exceeded $80 million since the beginning of the crisis. The Turkish Field Hospital established in 2018 continues to provide medical services to around 1,000 patients daily, employing 85 staff members including 30 Turkish and 55 local personnel.

Turkish support continues through projects in healthcare, shelter, education and infrastructure, while non-governmental organizations conduct food parcel distributions, iftar meals during Ramadan and animal sacrifice campaigns during Eid al-Adha.

Strategic partnership

Fidan is expected to underline deep-rooted bilateral ties and express satisfaction that the momentum in relations has continued under Bangladesh's new government, which took office following general elections held on Feb. 12. He will emphasize the need to strengthen cooperation in trade, defense industry, energy, culture, science and health, while reaffirming the shared goal of increasing bilateral trade volume from $1.35 billion in 2025 to $2 billion.

The minister will congratulate Rahman on his election as president of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly and note the importance Ankara attaches to cooperation with Dhaka on multilateral platforms, particularly the UN, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Developing Eight Organization for Economic Cooperation. Both sides are expected to exchange views on recent developments in the Middle East, Iran and South Asia.

Khalilur Rahman made his first bilateral foreign visit to Türkiye on March 14 and later attended the 5th Antalya Diplomacy Forum on April 17-19, while Deputy Foreign Minister Ambassador Berris Ekinci represented Ankara at the Feb. 17 swearing-in ceremony of Bangladesh's new government.