RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – Turkish Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, welcomed the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' (ASEAN) decision to admit Türkiye as the bloc's 12th Dialogue Partner. The decision was announced during the 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Manila, the Philippines, on Tuesday, July 21, 2026.

In a statement posted on X and cited on Wednesday, Fidan described the decision as another significant milestone for Türkiye's foreign policy under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. He said the Dialogue Partner status places Türkiye at the highest level of institutional engagement with ASEAN short of full membership.

Even, he said it also creates new opportunities to strengthen its long-term ties with the Asia-Pacific region. "We extend our gratitude to the ASEAN Foreign Ministers, the Philippines as ASEAN Chair for 2026, and the ASEAN Secretariat for their support of Türkiye's application to become a Dialogue Partner," Fidan conveyed.

According to Foreign Minister, the new status will deepen political and economic cooperation between Türkiye and ASEAN. He noted that trade between Türkiye and ASEAN member states has grown from US$6.5 billion to US$16 billion since institutional relations were established in 2010.

He added that the Dialogue Partnership will further reinforce Türkiye's engagement with a region of nearly 700 million people and an economy valued at more than US$4 trillion. Türkiye's Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the decision as a major milestone in boosting relations and strategic cooperation between Türkiye and ASEAN based on the principles of mutual benefit and shared prosperity.

In its statement, the ministry expressed appreciation to the Philippines as ASEAN Chair for 2026, the ASEAN Secretariat, and all ASEAN member states for their support in adopting the decision.

Türkiye also reaffirmed its commitment to further deepening institutional cooperation with the Asia-Pacific region through the Asia Anew Initiative, which serves as the strategic framework for the country's foreign policy toward the region.