Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Muhammad. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
ANKARA: Malaysia’s Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has said that Turkey, Malaysia and Pakistan can pave the way forward for development in the Muslim world.
Corroborating words of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that solidarity among the three countries “is necessary for the unity of the Islamic world”, Mahathir told reporters at a joint news conference on Thursday that it is crucial to relieve the Muslim Ummah from being subjugated by others.
"That is why I proposed that three Muslim countries should work together. At least these three [Turkey, Malaysia and Pakistan]. So that we can speak with a louder voice in terms of many areas; defence, for example,” said the Malaysian premier who arrived in the Turkish capital Ankara on Wednesday evening to kick off his four-day official visit.
Turkey, Pakistan and Malaysia are among the founders of the Muslim-majority D-8 group that seeks to establish strategic relations, increased trade, and more cooperation among its members. However, the group is yet to realise its potential.
According to Al-Arian, Mahathir's visit comes at a time when the economic and political challenges faced by the two governments are “enormous in light of the looming global economic uncertainty as well as the geopolitical shifts across the Middle East because of the US trade war with China, and other regional problems”.
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