Relationship dossier
Turkey
Bangladesh
Relationship assessment
Practical humanitarian and defense cooperation, alongside a notable diplomatic dispute over Bangladesh’s 2016 execution of Motiur Rahman Nizami
Turkey toward Bangladesh
+45Turkey provided humanitarian assistance to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and has pursued defense cooperation with the Bangladeshi government. In 2016, Turkey recalled its ambassador after Bangladesh executed Motiur Rahman Nizami, reflecting a significant diplomatic disagreement.
Bangladesh toward Turkey
+40Bangladesh sent a rescue team and humanitarian assistance to Turkey after the 2023 earthquakes. Bangladesh also rejected Turkish criticism of its handling of the 2016 execution of Motiur Rahman Nizami, treating the matter as an internal legal issue.
Overall relationship
+40The relationship includes practical cooperation in humanitarian relief and defense, with Turkey’s assistance to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and Bangladesh’s earthquake response in Turkey as notable examples. The 2016 diplomatic dispute over the execution of Motiur Rahman Nizami demonstrates that political disagreements have also affected ties.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Turkey and Bangladesh maintain a cooperative relationship with practical humanitarian, defense, and diplomatic ties. Turkey has provided assistance to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and pursued defense cooperation; Bangladesh sent a rescue team and humanitarian assistance to Turkey after the 2023 earthquakes. Relations have also faced friction, notably Turkey’s recall of its ambassador after Bangladesh executed opposition leader Motiur Rahman Nizami in 2016.
Areas of tension
- Turkey condemned Bangladesh’s execution of Motiur Rahman Nizami in 2016; Bangladesh rejected Turkish criticism as interference in an internal legal matter.
Key developments
Turkey provided humanitarian assistance to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.
Turkey recalled its ambassador after Bangladesh executed Motiur Rahman Nizami, amid public Turkish criticism of the execution.
Bangladesh sent a rescue team and humanitarian assistance to Turkey following the earthquakes.
Major uncertainties
- The scale and implementation of defense cooperation are unclear.
- The extent of follow-up cooperation on Rohingya refugees and their return is uncertain.