Politics
ASEAN partnership advances Türkiye’s long-term Asia strategy: Analysts
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s remarks welcoming Türkiye’s admission as an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Dialogue Partner have brought renewed focus to Ankara’s growing engagement with Southeast Asia, with experts arguing that the region has become a key pillar of the country’s long-term foreign policy vision based on strategic autonomy and diversified partnerships.
“Türkiye’s 2019 “Asia Anew” initiative has gained increasing traction within ASEAN,” Mustafa Cem Koyuncu, an Asia-Pacific specialist and co-founder of Bridge Turkey, told Daily Sabah arguing that Ankara’s economic outreach, expanding diplomatic presence and historical and cultural links with the region have strengthened its standing both within the bloc and among its member states.
Türkiye has been admitted as an ASEAN Dialogue Partner, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced Tuesday, calling the decision a major milestone in Ankara’s efforts to expand its diplomatic footprint in the Asia-Pacific and deepen long-term engagement with Southeast Asia.
Fidan said the decision was adopted by ASEAN foreign ministers during their meeting in Manila, elevating Türkiye to a status previously granted to only 11 countries and ranking just below full membership within the bloc’s partnership framework.
Arguing that the Indo-Pacific has become one of the principal arenas of the global power competition between the United States and China, while also serving as the heart of increasingly critical supply chains and trade corridors, Koyuncu stated that at the center of this strategic geography, the ASEAN has emerged as a key mechanism in shaping the regional architecture since the end of the Cold War.
“Its strategic weight, however, is not based on geography alone but also on its institutional cohesion. Individually, none of ASEAN’s 10 member states possesses the capacity to balance major powers or shape global decision-making on its own, he said, “Collectively, however, ASEAN enables its members to overcome those individual limitations and project a level of strategic influence that major powers cannot afford to ignore,” he emphasized.
Minister Fidan noted in a post on his social media account that the development was crucial to expanding Türkiye’s presence in the Asia-Pacific, which he described as the eastern pillar of the country’s global diplomacy, advancing Ankara’s long-term strategy toward ASEAN and bringing ongoing projects to completion.
Balancing superpowers
Founded in 1967, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations was established to promote regional peace and stability while fostering economic, social and cultural cooperation among Southeast Asian countries.
Moreover, Koyuncu also argued that the deepening an increasingly rivalry between the U.S. and China presents ASEAN with both opportunities and risks.
“The bloc is seeking to maximize the economic benefits of Chinese and U.S. investment projects and bilateral trade while avoiding the growing securitization and militarization of the region.”
The bloc’s five founding members were Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. It later expanded to include Brunei in 1984, Vietnam in 1995, Laos and Myanmar in 1997, Cambodia in 1999 and Timor-Leste in 2025, bringing its membership to 11 countries.
“ASEAN is therefore walking a fine line, attempting to preserve its neutrality while protecting its interests, he said, “In this context, the doctrine of ‘ASEAN centrality,’ championed particularly by Indonesia and other regional states, serves as a shield against the risk of wider geopolitical confrontation.”
ASEAN’s highest-level decisions are taken at leaders’ summits held twice annually. Under its 2019 “Asia Anew” initiative, Türkiye has identified ASEAN as a key strategic partner, pursuing a long-term policy aimed at expanding political, economic and institutional cooperation with the Southeast Asian bloc.
“From this perspective, ASEAN offers a third path not only to its own members but also to other regional and external powers. This alternative can be described as a strategic orientation centered on constructive, win-win cooperation and regional stability, rather than alignment with either Chinese or U.S. interests.”
On the other hand, according to Ahmet Faruk Işık, an expert on Chinese Foreign Policy and researcher fellow at the ChinaMed Project, Torino World Affairs Institute (TWAI), ASEAN is assuming greater strategic importance as U.S.-China rivalry deepens, while also facing mounting geopolitical pressures.
He said the bloc, with 11 member states, a population of more than 680 million and a combined economy worth over $3.9 trillion, occupies a pivotal position in global shipping routes, manufacturing networks and regional integration.
“Its political significance stems from its ability to bring major powers, including China and the United States, to the same table through inclusive, ASEAN-led mechanisms,” Işık remarked.
Washington on Thursday announced tariffs on imports from 60 trading partners, which took effect Friday, over their alleged failure to prevent goods produced with forced labor from entering international trade.
The duties, ranging from 10% to 12.5%, entered into force and replaced President Donald Trump’s temporary 10% global tariff, which expired at the same time.
China on Friday rejected unilateral fresh tariffs by the U.S., stressing trade wars do not serve the world’s top two economies.
“We oppose all forms of unilateral tariffs,” China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters in Beijing.
ASEAN brings together 11 Southeast Asian countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia and Timor-Leste. Its dialogue partners include the United States, Canada, Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, along with the European Union and now Türkiye.
“ASEAN’s core function is not to mediate between the two powers in the traditional sense, but to provide regional countries with the strategic space to preserve their autonomy without being forced to choose sides,” Işık noted.
Türkiye – ASEAN ties
Türkiye laid the groundwork for institutional ties with ASEAN by acceding to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia in 2010. It was granted Sectoral Dialogue Partner status in 2017.
While trade and investment remain central to Türkiye’s engagement with Southeast Asia, Ankara also aims to deepen its ties with ASEAN and its member states across a broader range of areas, including structured political dialogue, development cooperation and academic and cultural exchanges.
“The upgrade of Türkiye’s status from a Sectoral Dialogue Partner, which it had held since 2017, to a full Dialogue Partner on July 21, 2026, represents a significant institutional leap,” Işık stressed.
Reiterating that the status does not amount to ASEAN membership or grant Türkiye voting rights in the bloc’s decision-making mechanisms, Işık argued that “It does, however, expand cooperation beyond a limited number of sectors to a broader agenda covering political and security issues, economic ties and sociocultural cooperation.”
ASEAN holds significant strategic importance in the global economy. Trade between Türkiye and the bloc rose from $6.5 billion in 2010 to $16.12 billion in 2025, with Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore emerging as Ankara’s leading trade partners in the region.
“The success of the relationship will ultimately be determined not by the status itself, but by joint projects backed by clear timelines, adequate funding and measurable outcomes,” Işık noted.
He added that Ankara should avoid viewing ASEAN as a single, uniform market and instead pursue country-specific bilateral strategies tailored to each of its 11 member states while simultaneously advancing ASEAN-wide initiatives.
Türkiye-ASEAN cooperation has also continued to expand through concrete projects in areas including agriculture, women’s economic empowerment, disaster management, humanitarian mine action, maritime affairs, sustainable development, newborn health, science and technology.
Türkiye’s exports to ASEAN member states increased 17.1% from $2.4 billion in 2021 to $2.8 billion in 2025. Exports to the bloc totaled $1.2 billion in the first five months of this year.
Koyuncu further underlined that the recent momentum in diplomatic and economic ties was likely to accelerate following Türkiye’s elevation to Dialogue Partner status.
He said defense industry cooperation between Türkiye and ASEAN countries was expected to expand further as several Southeast Asian states sought to diversify their military procurement away from an overreliance on Chinese and U.S. suppliers.
Imports from ASEAN countries rose 50.7% during the same period, increasing from $8.8 billion to $13.3 billion. Imports reached approximately $6 billion in the January-May period of this year.
As a result, Türkiye’s total trade volume with the region reached $16.1 billion in 2025.
Koyuncu also offered that Türkiye’s active and balanced foreign policy, which has largely shielded it from the wave of international economic sanctions in recent years, could further enhance the appeal of Turkish-made products across Southeast Asia.
The Türkiye-Africa partnership remains a strategic priority for the African Union, with efforts focused on turning existing cooperation frameworks into concrete programs that deliver measurable benefits, a senior AU official said Wednesday.
Gaspard Banyankimbona, the African Union commissioner for education, science, technology and innovation, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that cooperation with Türkiye, established under a framework launched in 2008 and strengthened by the 2021 Istanbul Declaration, continues to deepen.
“We are committed to translating this cooperation into measurable benefits for our people,” Banyankimbona said in an interview marking African Union Day on Sept. 9.
He said the AU was exploring deeper cooperation with Turkish institutions, particularly universities and organizations specializing in research and innovation, with an emphasis on partnership, mutual benefit and joint production.
The cooperation is expected to align education and skills initiatives with the AU’s Agenda 2063 development goals.
Banyankimbona also stressed the need for Africa to shift from being primarily a consumer of technology and knowledge to becoming a producer and developer.
With more than 60% of Africa’s population under 25, he said investment in education, digital infrastructure and innovation would be crucial to turning the continent’s demographic potential into economic gains.
He also called for efforts to transform Africa’s “brain drain” into “brain circulation” by strengthening research institutions, encouraging cooperation with the diaspora and creating incentives for skilled professionals to work across the continent.
Over the past 25 years, relations between Türkiye and African countries have expanded significantly across political, trade, security, defense, cultural and development sectors.
Türkiye increased the number of its embassies across Africa from 12 in 2002 to 44 by 2024, while the number of African embassies in Türkiye rose from 10 in 2008 to 38 in 2024. Mozambique and Botswana most recently decided to open embassies in Türkiye.
Economic ties have also strengthened. Türkiye signed trade and economic cooperation agreements with 50 African countries, investment agreements with 32 countries and defense industry cooperation agreements with 29 countries.
Trade volume between Türkiye and Africa rose from $4.3 billion in 2002 to approximately $40 billion by the end of 2025, according to the Foreign Ministry.
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Tufan Erhürman said Wednesday that he and Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides failed to reach an agreement on new confidence-building measures during talks aimed at advancing efforts on the divided island.
Erhürman said in a written statement following the hourlong meeting in the U.N.-controlled buffer zone that discussions focused primarily on confidence-building measures and the methodology for moving the process forward.
“During a significant part of the meeting, while we were unable to reach an agreement on new confidence-building measures, we conveyed our views regarding external and internal initiatives that are eroding even the existing trust,” Erhürman noted.
He stressed the importance of creating what U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has described as a favorable climate for progress on the Cyprus issue.
Erhürman said this would require both implementing new confidence-building measures and avoiding steps that could undermine trust between the two sides.
He also said Maria Angela Holguin, the U.N. secretary-general’s personal envoy on Cyprus, would be unable to visit the island before the U.N. General Assembly because of illness.
The Turkish side strictly adheres to a two-state solution based on sovereign equality, as past efforts to reunify the island under a federal model have failed due to the Greek Cypriot administration’s reluctance to share power and resources.
The island has seen an on-and-off peace process in recent years, including a failed 2017 initiative in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, under the auspices of the guarantor countries.
The Greek Cypriot administration joined the European Union in 2004, the same year that Greek Cypriots rejected a U.N. plan to resolve the dispute in a referendum.
Erhürman and Christodoulides are scheduled to meet again in the buffer zone on Sept. 17. The meeting is expected to take place in Holguin’s absence.
Greece’s expanding defense alliances and armament programs have fueled concerns that they may come at odds with neighboring Türkiye, with which it still has a lingering dispute over maritime borders. Although Ankara and Athens appear committed to rapprochement after years of hostilities, Greece’s moves risk angering its neighbor.
The Greek military said on Wednesday that it will soon sign a deal to purchase two Italian multi-purpose FREMM frigates as part of a plan to invest billions of euros in its armed forces. Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis, meanwhile, said on Wednesday that they wanted to prevent crises but admitted that Greece’s recent alliance with Israel had increased tensions with Türkiye.
“There is no danger on the ground. We have all scenarios ready for any tension, ready to respond on the ground,” Gerapetritis told Greece’s SKAI TV.
His remarks followed last week’s statements by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, in which he insisted that Greece had “a right” to extend its maritime borders by 12 nautical miles in the Aegean, a major source of friction with Türkiye, which once vowed to declare war if Greece goes ahead with such a decision.
The agreement with Italy is set to be signed on September 8 in Rome for the so-called Bergamini-class frigates, which are modern warships designed for anti-submarine warfare, air defense and to engage targets at sea and on land. The first frigate will be handed over to the Greek Navy in the first half of 2028, and the second in the first half of 2029, according to the General Staff.
Greek shipyards are also set to participate in the maintenance and adaptation of the vessels, the Defense Ministry said. The purchase is part of Greece’s long-running program to modernize its armed forces, at a cost of more than 25 billion euros ($29.2 billion) by 2030.
In recent years, Greece has ordered four French FDI frigates and also plans to modernize its four MEKO-class frigates.
In parallel, the country is expanding its air and missile defense capabilities. Recent projects include the purchase of the multilayered “Achilles Shield” system, which is set to include Israeli systems from Rafael and Israel Aerospace Industries, as well as additional drones and reconnaissance technology. The agreement with Italy provides for the possibility of acquiring further FREMM frigates in the future, the Greek press reported.
Türkiye, meanwhile, is currently building more than 50 warships simultaneously for both domestic and foreign customers, according to a statement last month by its Naval Forces commander.
The country also plans to inaugurate its locally made aircraft carrier by the end of 2027. The carrier will have a capacity to host 52 aerial vehicles and 2,500 personnel.
Under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s leadership, Türkiye has pursued a rapprochement with Greece after decades of lukewarm diplomatic ties and nearly two decades after the countries came close to an all-out war over their Aegean dispute. Erdoğan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis have met several times over the past two years, but their warm meetings have done little to change the state of relations over the maritime dispute.
Last week, Erdoğan warned Greece not to arm the Aegean islands in violation of past treaties.
“Greece should know that Türkiye has no intention of grabbing the territory of any other country, but Türkiye also has no intention of allowing anyone to violate its rights. Ignoring international treaties will not benefit anyone. Anyone who interprets Türkiye’s level-headed approach based on common sense as weakness is making a grave mistake. Greece should reverse course and stop arming demilitarized islands. History is a good guide for those who can learn from the past,” Erdoğan told journalists as he was returning from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Kyrgyzstan.
Under the Achilles Shield deal signed earlier this month, Israel will supply Greece with the David’s Sling and SPYDER systems, as well as the BARAK MX system made by Israel Aerospace Industries, along with MMR multi-mission radars for air surveillance manufactured by IAI unit ELTA Systems.
David’s Sling was used by Israel to intercept Iranian missiles during the war with Iran this year. Greece is the second customer for the system, after Finland. Athens plans to spend about 28 billion euros by 2036 to build the Achilles Shield multilayered anti-ballistic, anti-aircraft and anti-drone system and to buy up to 40 F-35 fighter jets from the U.S.
Türkiye’s third-largest city, Izmir, observed the 104th anniversary of its liberation from occupying Greek forces on Wednesday. Events and parades were held in the Aegean city to celebrate the liberation, while at a more solemn ceremony, locals remembered Hasan Tahsin, a journalist who fired the first shot of resistance against the occupiers.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also issued a message on the occasion, remembering Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and “all the other heroes who crowned our National Struggle with victory.”
Izmir’s liberation, during the period following World War I that led to the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, was the last chapter in Türkiye’s National Struggle, which included the War of Independence against an assortment of foreign powers occupying Anatolia. It marked the conclusion of the Great Offensive launched by Atatürk in central Anatolia.
Izmir was invaded by Greek forces on May 15, 1919, four days before Atatürk launched a campaign in which he secretly mobilized the Turkish nation to fight against the occupiers. Encouraged by victory in the Battle of Dumlupınar, where Greek forces fled in retreat from the newly pieced together Turkish army, Atatürk ordered his troops to “advance to the Mediterranean,” a historic order that paved the way for the pursuit of Greek troops through central and western Türkiye.
The army eventually managed to push Greek forces toward the Aegean, giving rise to the expression “pushing the Greeks into the sea.” However, this was not a literal expression, as Greek troops took shelter aboard Allied vessels waiting off the shores of Izmir. In the Greek narrative, the events are known as the Asia Minor Catastrophe.
Türkiye hopes an upcoming disarmament process will contribute to stability in Iraq and pave the way for broader regional peace as the PKK and its affiliates lay down their arms, Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş said Tuesday.
Kurtulmuş made the remarks at a joint news conference with Iraqi Parliament Speaker Heybet Halbusi following bilateral and delegation-level talks at the Turkish Parliament in Ankara.
Kurtulmuş said he hoped the disarmament process, expected to begin next month, would help turn Iraq into a region of peace and stability and that the laying down of arms by the PKK and its affiliates would contribute to peace across Syria.
He linked the process to Türkiye’s broader “terror-free Türkiye” and “terror-free region” initiatives, saying countries in the region should strengthen cooperation and overcome divisions that have persisted for more than a century.
“Now, with the terror-free Türkiye process and the terror-free region process, we are bringing our scattered pieces together,” Kurtulmuş noted. “We are uniting.”
He also pointed to what he described as growing momentum in Türkiye-Iraq relations, citing 27 agreements and memorandums signed during President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to Iraq in 2024 and additional strategic decisions and agreements reached during Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Zeydi’s visit to Türkiye in July.
Kurtulmuş underlined that the Development Road Project was another key pillar of bilateral and regional cooperation.
The planned transport corridor is intended to strengthen connectivity between Asia and Europe through Iraq and Türkiye while contributing to economic development in both countries and the wider region.
Kurtulmuş said Ankara reiterated its full support for steps needed to advance the project and discussed ways to accelerate its implementation.
He said Türkiye hoped the Development Road would become operational with all its components as soon as possible.
The project, he added, would go beyond economic benefits by connecting communities, cities and cultures under a “win-win” approach.
Türkiye on Tuesday threw its support behind a 12-nation initiative led by the United Kingdom, France and Canada to ban trade and business dealings with illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, calling for broader international action against Israel’s unlawful settlement expansion.
The Foreign Ministry said Ankara welcomed and supported measures taken by the 12 countries targeting commercial ties with illegal settlements.
“Israel’s efforts to eliminate the two-state solution are intensifying by the day,” the ministry said, warning that illegal settlements have evolved into a “systematic policy of occupation” that threatens the existence of a Palestinian state.
The ministry also said violence by illegal Israeli settlers had reached the level of “ethnic cleansing.”
Ankara argued that an adequate international response to Israel’s occupation policies has become essential to achieving a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and establishing a just and lasting peace in the region.
Against this backdrop, Türkiye called on other responsible members of the international community to adopt similar measures against illegal settlements.
Türkiye reiterated that it would continue working toward the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state with territorial integrity, based on the 1967 borders and with occupied East Jerusalem as its capital.
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