Saadet Gokce
21 July 2026•Update: 21 July 2026
- Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says decision marked 'another significant outcome' achieved under leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Tuesday welcomed Türkiye's admission as the 12th dialogue partner of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), after Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro announced the decision during the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Manila.
In a statement shared on the US social media platform X, Fidan said the decision, adopted by ASEAN foreign ministers during their meeting in Manila, marked "another significant outcome" achieved under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Fidan said the designation places Türkiye immediately below full membership within ASEAN, a status previously granted to only 11 countries.
He thanked ASEAN foreign ministers, the Philippines as the bloc's current chair, and the ASEAN Secretariat for supporting Ankara's 2024 application, saying the move would strengthen Türkiye's long-term engagement with the Asia-Pacific region and deepen political and economic cooperation with the bloc.
He noted that trade between Türkiye and ASEAN member states has grown from $6.5 billion to $16 billion since institutional relations were established in 2010.
Fidan added that the new status would further strengthen political and economic cooperation with the nearly 700 million-strong region, whose economy is valued at more than $4 trillion.
In a separate statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry welcomed the decision, saying it would "further advance our strategic cooperation with ASEAN" under Türkiye's Asia Anew Initiative.
The bloc also granted Germany and Qatar sectoral dialogue partner status, according to the Philippine Presidential Communications Office.
"These developments demonstrate the continued confidence of our partners in ASEAN. We also view this as a positive step in realizing the aspirations laid down in the ASEAN Community Vision 2045," Lazaro told a news conference.
The ministers of the bloc met for their annual 59th meeting on Tuesday in Manila, capital of the Philippines, the current chair of the 11-member bloc.
Lazaro said Germany was granted the status for its longstanding support for ASEAN, while Qatar received it for its growing cooperation with the bloc in areas including diplomacy, development, humanitarian assistance, education and connectivity.
Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said that Türkiye's status as a dialogue partner was accepted last year, when Malaysia was the chair of the bloc, according to Bernama News. He also said that ASEAN member states have agreed for Malaysia to become the country coordinator for ASEAN-Türkiye relations.
Türkiye 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. The country applied to become a dialogue partner in 2024.
Türkiye has in recent years increased exchanges and engagements with Asian nations, including ASEAN members, under its Asia Anew Initiative, which was launched in 2019.
