Turkey and Malaysia have agreed to establish a $443 million joint shipyard in the southern Malaysian state of Malacca, expanding cooperation in the maritime and defense industries, TurDef News reported.
The Enrique of Malacca Shipyard, to be developed in partnership with Turkish shipbuilder Desan Shipyard, is expected to become operational in 2028. The facility will be built on roughly 9.4 hectares of coastline along the Strait of Malacca, one of the world’s busiest maritime trade routes.
Malacca Chief Minister Ab Rauf Yusoh, who visited Desan Shipyard in Istanbul, said the project would serve shipbuilding, ship repair, maritime services and fabrication needs as well as maritime tourism. He told Malaysia’s state news agency Bernama that the shipyard will operate as a joint venture involving SM-WEZ Corporation, Henry The Black Shipyard Sdn Bhd and Desan Shipyard.
The shipyard agreement was among seven documents signed during Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s three-day official visit to Turkey January 6-8 at the invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Defense cooperation deepens
During the visit Desan Shipyard and Malaysia’s Home Ministry also signed a 339.85 million ringgit ($83.6 million) contract for a second Multi-Purpose Mission Ship (MPMS) to be built for the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA).
The 99-meter vessel will accommodate 70 crew members and 30 passengers, with an endurance of up to 30 days at sea. It will be equipped with four fast response boats, two vertical takeoff and landing unmanned aerial vehicles, an 11-ton-capacity helipad, an infirmary and detention facilities for 45 people. Weapons, electronic and communications systems will be integrated by Turkish defense contractors Aselsan and Havelsan.
The ship will also include an unmanned surface vehicle (USV) developed by Desan, marking Turkey’s first export of a USV. The first MPMS for the MMEA is currently under construction in Turkey and is scheduled for delivery by the end of 2027.
Broader strategic framework
Turkey and Malaysia also signed a joint declaration establishing a High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC), to be co-chaired by both leaders. The move builds on earlier agreements reached during Erdoğan’s visit to Kuala Lumpur in February 2025.
Additional agreements signed during Anwar’s visit covered information and communications technologies, research cooperation, financial cooperation between the two countries’ export credit agencies and investment promotion. The two sides also exchanged minutes from the first meeting of the Malaysia–Turkey Joint Committee on Higher Education.
Speaking at a joint press conference, Erdoğan said defense industry cooperation between the two countries was based on a “win-win” framework, noting expanding collaboration in advanced technologies. He added that Malaysia’s role in ASEAN aligned with Turkey’s Asia Anew Initiative, launched in 2019.
Anwar described Ankara as a strategic partner in Malaysia’s innovation-driven growth. He was awarded Turkey’s Order of the Republic, the country’s highest honor for foreign leaders.