Türkiye becomes ASEAN dialogue partner at Manila meeting, FM says

Türkiye has been granted Dialogue Partner status with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), following a decision by the bloc's foreign ministers at a meeting in Manila, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has stated.

Sharing a post on X, he said the development is extremely important for strengthening Türkiye’s influence in the Asia-Pacific region, Caliber.Az reports.

“This development is of utmost importance in terms of enhancing our impact in the Asia-Pacific, which is the eastern axis of our global diplomacy, advancing our long-term strategy toward the ASEAN region, and finalizing our existing projects,” Fidan added.

Sayın Cumhurbaşkanımızın liderliğinde yürüttüğümüz, dünyaya ve olaylara çok yönlü bakabilen, uluslararası gündeme ve küresel sisteme etki edebilen dış politikamızda bugün önemli bir sonuç daha elde ettik.

Türkiye, ASEAN Dışişleri Bakanları’nın Manila’da aldığı kararla ASEAN’ın…

— Hakan Fidan (@HakanFidan) July 21, 2026

According to Fidan, the new status will bolster Ankara's position in the Asia-Pacific and expand political and economic cooperation with ASEAN, whose 10 member states have a combined population of around 700 million and an economy worth more than $4 trillion.

Fidan noted that Türkiye's trade turnover with ASEAN member states has grown from $6.5 billion in 2010 to $16 billion.

ASEAN is a regional intergovernmental organisation comprising Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Russia has been a full Dialogue Partner of ASEAN since 1996.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov