Malaysia Ready to Acquire More Military Equipment from Turkey
"We may consider drones and helicopters, considering Turkey's specialization and expertise. However, I leave it to the military to decide what is best," said the Prime Minister after a bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Turkish House in New York today.
(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) – Malaysia has expressed its willingness to purchase military equipment from Turkey, said Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Quoted by Malaysia national news agency BERNAMA, Anwar mentioned that previously, military equipment had been procured from South Korea, and the decision regarding the suitable equipment to be purchased from Turkey will be made by the Malaysian Armed Forces Council.
“We may consider drones and helicopters, considering Turkey’s specialization and expertise. However, I leave it to the military to decide what is best,” said the Prime Minister after a bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Turkish House in New York today.
He stated that it’s up to the Ministry of Defence to negotiate with the Ministry of Finance and the government involved in the procurement of military equipment.
“My policy is, as I’ve stated to the Joint Chief of Staff, that we do not want any interference in what needs to be acquired or bought,” he said.
At the same time, Anwar mentioned that Erdogan has also agreed to visit Malaysia in December next year.
Anwar is currently in New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meeting at the UN headquarters.
During the LIMA 2023 exhibition in Langkawi last May, the Ministry of Defence signed an agreement to acquire three Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) drone systems called “ANKA-S,” developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI).
Recently, the top management of Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) revealed that their medium-sized helicopter, “T625 Gokbey,” had received a $1 billion (RM4.5 billion) offer from an undisclosed country.
The disclosure was made by TAI’s CEO, Prof. Temel Kotil, on a local Turkish television station.
The unnamed country intends to acquire a total of 32 “Gokbey” helicopters developed by TAI.
If this offer is realized, the country in question would become the first export market for the locally-produced medium-sized helicopters from Turkey’s industry.
However, Kotil has refrained from disclosing the identity of the country willing to purchase the 32 helicopters that made their maiden flight in 2018.
His statement about the “Gokbey” helicopter has sparked speculation about the identities of the countries interested in acquiring these 32 “Gokbey” helicopters.
As usual, speculation about potential buyers of TAI-developed helicopters includes Gulf and Middle Eastern countries with high financial resources, including Malaysia and several other nations.
Malaysia is part of this speculation due to its recent inclination to acquire defense systems from Turkey, with the latest being the “KARAOK” anti-tank guided missile system produced by ROKETSAN as the recent choice for the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM).
In April last year, local media reports indicated that the Negeri Sembilan state government was hoping to realize a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with TAI the previous year for the development of the Negeri Sembilan Aerospace Valley (NSAV) by the end of this year.
At that time, the Negeri Sembilan state’s Investment, Industrial, Entrepreneurship, Education, and Human Capital Exco (pre-State Election) Datuk Dr. Mohamad Rafie Ab Malek stated that there were plans for TAI to assemble helicopters and light aircraft in NSAV.
The “Gokbey” multi-mission helicopter produced by TAI is a new-generation, twin-engine helicopter with a payload of six tons, configured to meet various mission requirements such as cargo transport, VIP transport, emergency medical services, offshore operations, including search and rescue operations due to its spacious cabin. – DSA
