Bangladesh and Türkiye have held talks about Turkish investment in Bangladesh’s defence industry, a government minister in Dhaka said on 15 November 2026. He also said the two countries are moving towards what he called a “comprehensive partnership”.
Humaiun Kobir, the State Minister for Foreign Affairs-1 of Bangladesh, gave the account at a briefing at the foreign ministry in Dhaka. The briefing was about the visit of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to Türkiye.
The talks took place when Tarique Rahman, the prime minister of Bangladesh, met Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the president of Türkiye, in Antalya, Türkiye, on 10 November 2026. A bilateral meeting is a meeting between two countries’ leaders.
The two leaders met on the same trip as COP31, the yearly United Nations climate conference. Türkiye is hosting COP31 in Antalya from 9 to 20 November.
The meeting happened on 10 November. The news reached the public on 15 November, when Mr Kobir briefed reporters in Dhaka.
What the state minister said
Mr Kobir said the two sides discussed expanding defence cooperation. He said this included possible investment in a “defence industrial park” in Bangladesh and other areas of defence production.
“Discussions were very fruitful regarding moving towards an investment partnership,” he said.
He said Bangladesh and Türkiye also discussed trade and investment, energy and mineral resources, and the Rohingya refugee issue. He said the two sides discussed working together on the Rohingya case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and on the funding needs of the humanitarian response.
Mr Kobir said Erdoğan met only “three or four, perhaps slightly more” heads of government in bilateral meetings during the summit. He said the meeting with Bangladesh’s prime minister was one of the most prominent on the first day. He also said Erdoğan praised recent policy changes in Bangladesh.
What Erdoğan is quoted as saying
Mr Kobir quoted Erdoğan as telling the prime minister: “You are my valued brother. You are the leader of the 180 million people of Bangladesh, but beyond that, you are my valued brother and a leader with whom I will work closely.”
He also quoted Erdoğan as saying: “Whatever is within my capacity and Türkiye’s capacity for Bangladesh, I will do it. You just need to let me know where and what needs to be done.”
These words come from the state minister. They are quotes at second hand. We did not hear Erdoğan say them.
The Turkish presidency gave its own account of the meeting. It said Erdoğan called for more cooperation with Bangladesh, especially in trade and the defence industry. It also said he raised flood management and resilient infrastructure for Bangladesh.
An account, not an agreement
The defence industrial park is a subject of discussion, not a signed deal. No agreement has been announced, and no figure for any possible investment has been published.
The tone of the meeting was warm, but no new deal was announced.
What to watch
COP31 runs until 20 November in Antalya. Türkiye holds the presidency of the conference, and Australia’s Chris Bowen is president of the negotiations.
The visit also raised the Rohingya case at the ICJ. The sources differ on the stage of that case. One Bangladeshi newspaper quoted the state minister speaking about work after an ICJ verdict, while another reported him speaking about a hearing expected this month. We do not know which stage is correct.
Bangladesh is one of the countries most exposed to climate change. That is why its prime minister attended the summit.
Sources: The Daily Star (15 Nov 2026); The Business Standard (11 Nov 2026); The Daily Star (10 Nov 2026); Daily Sun (14 Nov 2026); Anadolu Agency (10 Nov 2026); Daily Sabah (10 Nov 2026); UNFCCC COP31 conference page.
Image: Tarique Rahman, the prime minister of Bangladesh, and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the president of Türkiye, at their bilateral meeting in Antalya on 10 November 2026. Press Information Department (Bangladesh), public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.