Diplomatic relations between the Republic of Türkiye and the Kingdom of Cambodia were established on November 7, 1959.

Since then, relations between Türkiye and Cambodia have been in a positive track, yet the scope remained limited until the recent past, due to the political developments in Cambodia since mid-1970s, geographical distance between the two countries and differences in foreign policy priorities.

On the other hand, the establishment of the resident Embassy of Türkiye in Phnom Penh in 2013 has paved the way for concrete developments in bilateral relations and increased cooperation in international arenas.

Türkiye has a physical diplomatic presence in Cambodia with the Embassy since 1 November 2013. The Embassy was officially inaugurated on 15 March 2015, by H.E. Mr. Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs and H.E. HOR Namhong, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and then Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The Royal Embassy of Cambodia in Ankara was established on 28 October 2020, Ambassador MEAS Kim Heng presented his credentials to the H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of the Republic of Türkiye. Yet, the official inauguration ceremony was held on February 27, 2022, by H.E. Mr. Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Turkish Foreign Minister and H.E. PRAK Sokhonn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. There is an honorary consulate of Cambodia in Istanbul.

While the Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Groups were separately formed in the National Assembly and the Senate in Cambodia in 2015, the said Group on the Turkish side was established on 6 March 2016 within the Turkish Grand National Assembly.

Turkish-Cambodian political relations have been progressing smoothly. Having had many consecutive ministerial and high-level visits from Cambodia, following the visits of H.E. HUN Sen, Cambodian Prime Minister and H.E. PRAK Sokhonn in 2018, constitutes a basic indicator of the well-developed relations.

Visits of H.E. SAR Kheng, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior (July 2019), H.E. PAN Sorasak, Minister of Commerce (October 2019), H.E. TEA Bahn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense (January 2020), H.E. OTHSMAN Hassan, Senior Minister (March 2020), and H.E. PRAK Sokhonn (February 2022) have contributed highly to the bilateral relations. During these visits, many agreements were signed to strengthen the legal basis of the relations.

Lastly, H.E. Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu visited Cambodia on 3 August 2022, to attend the Türkiye-ASEAN Fourth Sectoral Dialogue Partnership Tripartite Meeting, held on the margins of the ASEAN 55th Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.

Approximately 350 Turkish citizens reside in Cambodia. There are 39 Cambodian citizens living in Türkiye (as of 2022).

Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency has completed 15 development projects in Cambodia, between 2009 and 2022.

While the number of Cambodian tourists visiting Türkiye was around 1.000 in the pre-Covid19 period, due to the travel restrictions in 2020 and 2021, there has been a critical decrease in the number of incoming tourists.

Trade and Economic Relations:

Source: Turkish Statistical Institute (million USD)

Main Export Items of Türkiye : Textile products (yarn, fabric, etc.), grain and grain ingredients, motorized road vehicles (passenger vehicles, trailers, etc.), medical and pharmaceutical products, general industrial machinery and equipment, raw fertilizers, processed leather and stout leather, petroleum and petroleum products, sugar, metal goods (barrels, barrels, etc.), essential oils, electrical machinery and components

Main Import Items of Türkiye : Clothing, shoes, bags, bicycles, grain and grain ingredients, organic chemicals, textile materials (yarn, fabric, etc.), power generating machinery and components, general industry machinery and components (fan, air conditioner, etc.)

The Turkish-Cambodia Business Council was established by Foreign Economic Relations Board of Türkiye (DEİK) and Cambodia Chamber of Commerce (CCC), on 26 February 2013.

Türkiye-Cambodia Joint Economic Commission (JEC) Co-Chairs are Prof. Vahit Kirişçi, Turkish Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, and PAN Sorasak, Cambodian Minister of Commerce. The first round of the JEC meetings was held in Phnom Penh on 10-11 February 2015, and the second in Ankara on 17-18 October 2019.

The Agreement on Mutual Promotion and Protection of Investments, signed during the visit of H.E. Hun Sen, Prime Minister of Cambodia, to Türkiye in October 2018, entered into force on 10 June 2022. The Agreement on Avoidance of Double Taxation, signed during the visit of H.E. Prak Sokhonn, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, to Türkiye in February 2022, is to enter into force soon.

There are no direct capital investments from Cambodia to Türkiye. Even though the scope of Turkish investments in Cambodia are still limited, it has been observed that Turkish businesspeople have an increasing interest in the untapped business opportunities in Cambodia.