Türkiye marks ASEAN’s 59th anniversary as newest dialogue partner

ANKARA

Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry marked the 59th anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Aug. 8, saying Ankara looked forward to working with the bloc to support peace, stability and prosperity in Southeast Asia.

“As ASEAN’s newest dialogue partner, we look forward to continuing to work together for peace, stability and prosperity in the region,” the ministry said on Turkish social media platform NSosyal.

Türkiye was granted Dialogue Partner status at the 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Manila on July 21.

The decision upgraded Türkiye’s relationship with the bloc after it became a sectoral dialogue partner in 2017.

Ankara is now ASEAN’s 12th dialogue partner.

Established on Aug. 8, 1967, ASEAN now has 11 members following Timor-Leste’s admission in 2025. The bloc represents nearly 700 million people and an economy worth more than $4 trillion.

According to Turkish figures, trade between Türkiye and ASEAN reached $16.1 billion in 2025.

Turkish exports to the bloc rose 17.1 percent from 2021 to $2.8 billion, while imports reached $13.3 billion.

In the first five months of 2026, Türkiye exported $1.2 billion in goods to ASEAN members and imported nearly $6 billion.

Singapore was Türkiye’s largest ASEAN export market last year, followed by Malaysia and Indonesia.