President Erdogan Awarded PM Anwar A TOGG Electric Car

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim took a photo in front of a TOGG electric car presented by Turkish Republic President Recep Tayyip Erdobulan/PHOTO via X @anwaribrahim

JAKARTA - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdobulan gave a TOGG electric car prize which was Turkey's first national electric car to Malaysian Prime Minister (PM) Anwar Ibrahim.

PM Anwar revealed that the prize was given by President Erdogan during his official visit to Malaysia on 10-11 February 2025.

TOGG's electric car, which is Turkey's pride, is given as a symbol of friendship between the two countries.

Anwar said the provision of white "sport utility vehicle" electric cars reflects the two countries' strong commitment to exploring collaboration opportunities in various sectors, including technology, innovation, and automotive.

Malaysia and Turkey, he continued, will continue to strengthen relations that have been established and open new sheets of strategic cooperation for the common good.

In one of the photos uploaded on his social media, PM Anwar was seen driving a TOGG electric car, which has a steering wheel to the left, while President Erdogan sits on the passenger seat to his right.

The two countries began to establish diplomatic relations since June 17, 1964, and their relationship increased to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2022.

Various dialogue mechanisms have been strengthened, including cooperation in politics and diplomacy, trade and investment, halal industry, education and inter-community relations, as well as defense and security, including efforts to counter terrorism.

In addition, the two countries also cooperate in the field of environmental, science and technology, as well as energy.

In a joint statement, the two leaders agreed to hold a Joint Commission Meeting of the Minister of Foreign Affairs as the main forum in determining and supervising bilateral strategic agendas, as well as discussing regional and international issues.

The two government leaders also agreed to form a High-Level Strategic Council. They acknowledged the important role of the Malaysia-Turkey Free Trade Agreement (MTFTA), which took effect in 2015, and were satisfied with the extension of the agreement in 2024, which includes trade in services, investments and e-commerce.

Turkey has been ASEAN's sectoral dialogue partners since 2017, with practical cooperation between ASEAN and Turkey for the 2024-2028 period as a framework for strategic cooperation between the two parties.

In 2024, Turkey will become Malaysia's third-largest trading partner in West Asia, as well as the largest export destination and the fourth-largest source of imports from the region.

In 2024, the number of trades between the two countries increased 18.7 percent to RM24.13 billion Malaysian ringgit (RM) or 5.28 billion US dollars, equivalent to Rp87.69 trillion from the previous year.