KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob's recent visit to Turkey is expected to further boost trade between the two nations, especially in the commodities sector.
Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin said Turkey was an important market for the nation's agriculture commodities sector as exports to Turkey totalled RM5.99 billion last year.
"Exports for our agriculture commodity products to Turkey increased by 49.5 per cent from RM4.01 billion in 2020," she said in a statement today.
She said the signing of several MoUs between both countries on July 7, that was witnessed by Ismail Sabri and Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, had deepened bilateral ties.
"It has also added impetus towards Malaysia's efforts to boost its commodities exports to Turkey following a trade mission I personally led to the country between March 26 and March 30 this year."
During her earlier visit, Zuraida said Malaysia had also offered its expertise in natural rubber technology, mainly in seismic rubber bearings which are capable of absorbing earthquake tremors for the construction industry.
She said MPIC was also appreciative of Turkey giving tax exemptions as a result of the Malaysia-Turkey Free Trade Agreement (MTFTA) that was signed in 2019, besides facilitating discussions on making Turkey a hub for Malaysian agriculture commodity products to Europe and Central Asia.
More specifically on palm oil trade, MPIC had also clarified various issues pertaining to efforts by certain quarters to undermine the image of palm oil and its related products while at the same time had called on Turkey to support Malaysia in the face of prejudice against palm oil products.
Various meetings were also held separately with industry players in Ankara to promote Malaysia's main agriculture commodity products like palm oil, rubber, timber, cocoa and pepper.
"I also took the opportunity to speak to numerous captains of industries about the immense benefits of palm oil, while countering false news about the commodity, in line with the 'The Global Movement to Champion the Goodness of Palm Oil' campaign," she said.
Four major agriculture commodity products from Malaysia that were exported to Turkey are palm oil-based products (RM4.38 billion), rubber (RM1.29 billion), cocoa (RM304.5 million) and timber (RM8.43 million).
