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What Turkey’s upgrade to Asean dialogue partner status means

Turkey’s ascension to Asean dialogue partner marks the west Asian country’s bid to position itself as a middle power, according to analysts.
The upgrade on July…

By Samantha Johnson / August 3, 2026
Turkey’s ascension to Asean dialogue partner marks the west Asian country’s bid to position itself as a middle power, according to analysts.
The upgrade on July 21 breaks an Association of Southeast Asian Nations moratorium in place since the UK’s admission in 2021. Turkey joins the US, China, Russia, Britain, Australia, Japan and South Korea.

In a social media post on the same day, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Ankara had increased its cooperation with Asean members and raised trade volume from US$6.5 billion to US$16 billion since “laying the foundation of our institutional relations with Asean in 2010”.

“We believe that our political and economic cooperation with the Asean region, which has a population of around 700 million and an economy exceeding US$4 trillion, will deepen even further,” he said.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan looks on during a visit to a makeshift memorial to fallen Ukrainian defenders in Kyiv, Ukraine, on July 16. Photo: Reuters
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan looks on during a visit to a makeshift memorial to fallen Ukrainian defenders in Kyiv, Ukraine, on July 16. Photo: Reuters

Turkey’s relations with the bloc began with the signing of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in 2010. It was later conferred sectoral dialogue partner status in 2017.

The country enjoys strong trading ties in the region – particularly with Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore. Malaysia serves as coordinator for Asean-Turkey relations.

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