Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is set to highlight Türkiye’s commitment to multilateralism and regional cooperation during the 7th Türkiye-ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partnership Trilateral Meeting, taking place on the margins of the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Kuala Lumpur on July 10–11.
Fidan is expected to emphasise that the Asia-Pacific region lies at the heart of current geopolitical, economic and environmental challenges, and underline Türkiye’s support for effective multilateralism in addressing these issues.
He will also reaffirm Ankara’s prioritisation of cooperation, inclusivity and dialogue with regional countries under its “Asia Anew” initiative.
During the trilateral session, which will be co-chaired by Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan and ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn, Minister Fidan will outline Türkiye’s readiness to contribute in areas such as disaster response, transnational crime, development, trade resilience, poverty and food security.
He is also anticipated to address Türkiye’s principled diplomatic stance on global crises, including the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and highlight the growing threat posed by Israeli aggression to regional and global peace.
Stressing the importance of a two-state solution to the Palestinian question, Fidan will call for stronger collective efforts in the face of ineffective global mechanisms and share concrete contributions Türkiye can offer.
In addition to the trilateral meeting, Fidan is expected to hold bilateral discussions with counterparts on the sidelines of the broader ASEAN ministerial gathering.
Fidan had last participated in the trilateral meeting held in Vientiane (Laos) on July 2024 as part of the 57th Foreign Ministers Meeting.
The trilateral meetings are held between the Foreign Ministers of the sectoral dialogue partner countries, the Foreign Minister of the ASEAN Chairperson-in-Office and the ASEAN Secretary General.
Growing partnership
Türkiye took its first step towards formal ties with ASEAN in 2010 by joining the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation. It became a sectoral dialogue partner in 2017, and relations have since grown through collaborative projects and policy coordination.
Recent years have seen a notable strengthening of ties, with the Practical Cooperation Areas document — serving as the action plan of the partnership — updated to cover the 2024–2028 period. Türkiye officially applied for full Dialogue Partnership status in 2024, the highest level of partnership available to non-regional countries.
ASEAN, home to nearly 690 million people and representing 9 percent of the world’s population, is the fifth-largest economy globally, with a combined GDP of $3.95 trillion. It plays a recognised central role in ensuring peace, stability and security in the Asia-Pacific.
Türkiye’s trade volume with ASEAN rose from $6.5 billion in 2010 to $15.7 billion in 2024, while cooperation has expanded into areas such as investment, education, disaster management, agriculture, maritime affairs, sustainable development, and green transformation.
Through its “Asia Anew” initiative and presence in all 10 ASEAN member states via embassies, Türkiye aims to further deepen institutional and strategic engagement with the region.
