The Commander of the Türkiye Navy Fleet, Admiral Kadir Yıldız, paid a courtesy call on President Dr Mohamed Muizzu at the President’s Office on Sunday, reaffirming the close partnership between the Maldives and Türkiye.

During the meeting, President Dr Muizzu expressed his gratitude for the generous gift of the naval vessel Dharumavantha and for Türkiye’s continued support across various sectors. He noted that the gesture symbolised the strong and enduring ties between the two nations. Admiral Yıldız, in turn, reaffirmed Türkiye’s commitment to enhancing bilateral relations and praised the ongoing cooperation with the Maldives. Both leaders concluded the meeting by underscoring the importance of continued collaboration and their mutual resolve to further strengthen ties.

The courtesy call came in the wake of the official handover of the Dharumavantha, which was gifted to the Maldives as part of defence cooperation between the two nations. The ceremony, held at the Hulhumalé MPL area, was attended by President Dr Muizzu in his capacity as Commander-in-Chief of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF).

The naval vessel is part of a wider Memorandum of Understanding between Türkiye and the Maldives, aimed at strengthening naval infrastructure through equipment support and structured training. The vessel recently underwent comprehensive maintenance at the Istanbul Naval Shipyard Command to ensure operational readiness.

The addition of Dharumavantha to the MNDF fleet enhances the Maldives’ maritime security capacity while reflecting the deepening strategic partnership between Malé and Ankara.