Cambodia–Türkiye labour talks focus on skilled worker mobility

The talks moved beyond training into possible labour mobility

Cambodia’s Minister of Labour and Vocational Training Heng Sour met Türkiye’s Minister of Labour and Social Security Vedat Işıkhan in Shanghai on 23 September. Türkiye’s labour ministry confirmed the bilateral meeting, while Cambodia’s state news agency AKP published further details two days later.

According to AKP, the discussions covered labour mobility, skills development and recruitment aligned with labour-market needs. Türkiye expressed interest in skilled Cambodian workers, particularly in technical fields such as mechanical engineering. The two sides also discussed skills recognition and cooperation in vocational training.

Cambodia placed worker safeguards on the agenda as well. The issues raised included transparent recruitment costs, binding employment contracts, fair pay, safe accommodation and working conditions, occupational health standards, insurance and arrangements for repatriation.

AKP described the meeting as a continuation of work identified at the fourth Cambodia–Türkiye Joint Economic Commission session in Ankara in November 2025, where labour migration management, skills recognition and social security were already listed as areas of cooperation.

For practical context, see Cambodia market and country comparisons. This development also connects with Cambodia-Israel labour deal moves into worker selection.

No recruitment programme or new visa has been launched

As of 27 September, the published material does not set out eligibility criteria, quotas, application fees, a recruitment timetable or a dedicated immigration route. The ministers agreed to keep working toward formal bilateral mechanisms, so there is no operational scheme for candidates to apply through yet.

For Cambodian professionals, the meeting may become relevant if it leads to a defined pathway into technical jobs in Türkiye. Employers should treat it as a policy discussion rather than an available hiring channel until the responsible authorities publish the rules, documentation and implementation process.

The distinction matters because recruitment arrangements and immigration permission are not the same thing. Future cooperation could make hiring more structured, but it would still need to operate within the applicable Turkish labour and immigration framework.