Turkey Officially Becomes ASEAN's 12th Dialogue Partner

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has welcomed Turkey’s admission as the 12th dialogue partner of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), after Philippine Foreign Minister Maria Theresa P. Lazaro announced the decision during the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Manila on Tuesday.

In a statement shared on platform X, Fidan said the decision marked “another significant achievement” under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Fidan noted that the appointment places Turkey just below full membership in ASEAN—a status previously granted to only 11 countries. He thanked the ASEAN foreign ministers, the Philippines as this year’s chair, and the ASEAN Secretariat for their support of Ankara’s application for dialogue partnership submitted in 2024.

Turkey’s formal status as an ASEAN dialogue partner will strengthen its long-term relations with the Asia-Pacific region and deepen political and economic cooperation with the bloc, he said. Fidan noted that trade between Turkey and ASEAN member states has grown from $6.5 billion to $16 billion since institutional relations were established in 2010. The new status will further strengthen political and economic cooperation with a region of nearly 700 million people and an economy valued at more than $4 trillion, he added.

Besides Turkey, ASEAN also granted sectoral dialogue partner status to Germany and Qatar, according to the Philippine Presidential Communications Office. “This development demonstrates the continued trust of our partners in ASEAN. We also see this as a positive step in realising the aspirations outlined in the ASEAN Community Vision 2045,” Philippine Foreign Minister Lazaro said at a press conference. Lazaro said Germany was granted the status for its long-standing support for ASEAN, while Qatar received it for its increasing cooperation with the bloc in various fields including diplomacy, development, humanitarian aid, education, and connectivity.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said Turkey’s status as a dialogue partner was accepted last year, when Malaysia chaired the bloc, according to Bernama News. He also said that ASEAN member states have approved Malaysia to serve as country coordinator for ASEAN-Turkey relations. Turkey established institutional relations and signed the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation—one of ASEAN’s founding documents—in 2010, before becoming a sectoral dialogue partner in 2017. Ankara then applied to become a dialogue partner in 2024. In recent years, Turkey has increased exchanges and engagement with Asian countries, including ASEAN members, under the New Asia Initiative launched in 2019.