Post by : Meena Ariff

Photo: Reuters

ASEAN, which stands for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is planning to upgrade its relationship with Turkiye. At present, Turkiye is a sectoral dialogue partner of ASEAN, but soon it might become a full dialogue partner. This announcement was made by Malaysia’s Foreign Minister, Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, during a press conference on Friday.

What is the current situation?

Right now, Turkiye has been working with ASEAN only as a sectoral dialogue partner. This means that Turkiye is involved in cooperation with ASEAN in specific areas but does not take part in all ASEAN meetings like full dialogue partners do.

How has Turkiye helped ASEAN so far?

According to the Foreign Minister, Turkiye has played a very positive and helpful role for ASEAN countries. Turkiye has worked together with ASEAN in different important areas such as:

• Technology development: Sharing expertise and knowledge.
• Security cooperation: Discussing ways to keep the region safe.
• Defence support: Working on military cooperation and strategies.
• Agriculture improvement: Helping in farming techniques and food security.

Apart from these, Turkiye has also been giving scholarships to students from ASEAN countries to study in Turkiye. This has helped many students gain a good education and knowledge in different fields.

Meeting details

This important announcement was made after Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan chaired a Trilateral Meeting between Malaysia, Turkiye, and the ASEAN Secretariat on Friday. The meeting lasted for about 30 minutes. It was attended by:

• Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan
• ASEAN Secretary-General Dr Kao Kim Hourn
• The meeting was held in Kuala Lumpur on the sidelines of the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM-58) and other related meetings.

Why does ASEAN want to upgrade Turkiye’s status?

The Foreign Minister said that ASEAN is now discussing how to bring Turkiye in as a full dialogue partner. He added, “We are considering how to bring Turkiye in as a full dialogue partner of ASEAN in the near future, God willing.”

He praised Turkiye’s continuous efforts and support, which have helped ASEAN countries in their growth and development. By becoming a full dialogue partner, Turkiye will be able to take part in more meetings and discussions within ASEAN. This will strengthen the cooperation between ASEAN and Turkiye in many more fields.
Many countries are interested in ASEAN partnerships.

Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan also shared that there are many countries around the world that want to become either sectoral or full dialogue partners with ASEAN. However, ASEAN has put a moratorium (temporary stop) on new applications for now. He explained that there are simply too many countries applying and it is becoming difficult to manage all these partnerships at once.

Current dialogue partners

Right now, ASEAN has 11 full dialogue partners. These include countries like China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, the United States, Canada, the European Union, and the United Kingdom. The Minister said that adding new partners must be done carefully so that it does not burden ASEAN’s current structure and work.

About the AMM-58 meeting

The 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM-58) is being held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC). Malaysia is hosting the meeting as the ASEAN Chair for 2025. The theme for this year is ‘Inclusivity and Sustainability’, which focuses on bringing all countries together and working towards a sustainable future.
This important event includes:

• 24 ministerial-level meetings
• Meetings with dialogue and sectoral partners
• Discussions on regional security, economic growth, social development, and other crucial topics

The meetings started on Tuesday and will continue for four days, bringing together leaders, ministers, and representatives from all ASEAN member countries and their partners.

Why is this important?

If Turkiye becomes a full dialogue partner of ASEAN, it will:

• Strengthen political and economic ties between ASEAN and Turkiye.
• Help ASEAN countries benefit from Turkiye’s expertise in various fields.
• Allow Turkiye to take part in all ASEAN meetings and decision-making processes.

This move will also show how ASEAN continues to build strong relationships not just within Asia, but also with countries beyond its region for the betterment of all member states and their people.