Army chief returns home after five-day Türkiye visit

Chief of Army Staff General Waker-Uz-Zaman has returned to Bangladesh after completing a five-day official visit to Türkiye, during which he held a series of high-level meetings aimed at strengthening bilateral defence cooperation, military technology collaboration and strategic partnerships.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed his return in a verified Facebook post late Saturday night (July 25).

As part of the visit, General Waker-Uz-Zaman paid tribute to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder and first president of Türkiye, by laying a wreath at Anıtkabir, the national mausoleum in Ankara.

During the tour, he held separate courtesy meetings with Türkiye's Minister of National Defence, Chief of the General Staff, Commander of the Turkish Land Forces, Director of the Istanbul Naval Shipyard, and representatives of the country's Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB).

The army chief also visited the headquarters of the Turkish Land Forces, where he was accorded a Guard of Honour.

According to ISPR, the meetings focused on expanding cooperation in defence, military training, defence technology, defence industry collaboration, capacity building and other issues of mutual strategic interest. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to deepening professional military ties, enhancing the exchange of expertise and broadening bilateral defence cooperation.

During the visit, General Waker-Uz-Zaman toured several of Türkiye's leading defence and military technology industries. He was briefed on their manufacturing capabilities, research and development initiatives, advanced defence technologies, innovation programmes and future production plans. He also exchanged views with senior officials on potential areas of collaboration between the two countries.