ASEAN-Türkiye Forum Strengthens Ankara's Bid for Full Dialogue Partnership
The inaugural ASEAN-Türkiye Forum was held in Jakarta, marking a new chapter in efforts to strengthen strategic cooperation and support Ankara’s bid to become a Full Dialogue Partner of ASEAN. The forum, titled ‘Bridges of Progress’, brought together policymakers, diplomats, and academics to discuss deepening collaboration in trade, security, energy, sustainable development, and digital transformation.
President of the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), Tetsuya Watanabe, stated that ASEAN and Türkiye possess complementary strengths. He noted that ASEAN is a global economic growth centre, while Türkiye holds a strategic position as a hub connecting Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Watanabe said merging the strengths of the two regions would open significant opportunities for shared prosperity, economic resilience, and stronger security.
Turkish Ambassador to Indonesia, Timor-Leste, and ASEAN, Prof Talip Küçükcan, emphasised that the forum was not designed as a ceremonial agenda but as a permanent mechanism for regular dialogue between stakeholders from both regions. Meanwhile, ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General for the Economic Community, Satvinder Singh, highlighted the strategic importance of the relationship amid rising global uncertainty.
The forum produced several policy recommendations, including a push for Türkiye to move beyond its current status as a Sectoral Dialogue Partner. Participants proposed expanding Türkiye’s engagement in ASEAN-led mechanisms, including the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus). In the energy sector, the forum identified complementary potential, with Türkiye serving as a key energy transit hub and ASEAN facing growing energy demand. Recommendations included technology transfer, joint research, and strengthening critical mineral supply chains. On digital transformation, proposals included a cross-regional Digital Skills Passport, an ASEAN-Türkiye Digital Workforce Development Centre, and an annual youth forum to foster intergenerational ties. Türkiye acceded to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia in 2010 and became a Sectoral Dialogue Partner in 2017 before submitting its application for Full Dialogue Partner status.