Türkiye becomes ASEAN's dialogue partner

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan welcomed Türkiye's admission as the 12th dialogue partner of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

In a statement shared on X, he said the designation places Türkiye immediately below full membership within ASEAN, a status previously granted to only 11 countries.

According to the diplomat, 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 region, whose economy is valued at more than $4 trillion.

Türkiye applied to become a dialogue partner in 2024.