Türkiye sees the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as a key partner in the Asia-Pacific region, Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Önal said on Tuesday as ASEAN week was launched in the capital Ankara for the first time.
"ASEAN constitutes a successful model of regional cooperation and one of the best examples of unity and diversity," Önal told the opening ceremony of ASEAN week in the capital Ankara.
The Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) is hosting the four-day event, which will be attended by ambassadors from eight ASEAN members – Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Brunei, Vietnam, Singapore, Philippines and Malaysia.
"We aim to develop deeper and broader cooperation with the ASEAN and its individual member states on the basis of common objectives and interests," Önal said.
He highlighted that culture and education are dynamic areas of cooperation, adding that Türkiye wants to enhance dialogue with ASEAN and increase cooperation in other areas such as science and technology.
YTB head Abdullah Eren said Türkiye's ultimate goal is to enable societies to get to know each other within the framework of public diplomacy and to show solidarity.
"We believe that public or nongovernmental organizations in the regions where we carry out our activities strengthen our existing ties. Especially deep-rooted organizations like ASEAN might facilitate bringing our country closer to the people of the region and thus open the door to new opportunities," he added.
"Students from South Asia and ASEAN countries show interest in the Türkiye Scholarships from which approximately 4,000 international students benefit every year. So far, two from Brunei, 13 from Cambodia, 281 from Indonesia, 53 from Malaysia, 41 from the Philippines, one from Singapore, 65 students from Thailand and 10 students from Vietnam received education at Turkish universities within the scope of Türkiye Scholarships,” Eren underlined.
To improve ties with Asian countries in different areas, Türkiye in 2019 launched the Asia Anew initiative. The initiative offers a new vision that might shape the future of Turkish foreign policy as a whole. It aims to improve ties with Asian countries in various areas, including education, the defense industry, investments, trade, technology, culture and political dialogue.
Türkiye views ASEAN as a key organization in the region, considering its combined economy, dynamic population and strategic location. Türkiye applied to become a sectoral dialogue partner to ASEAN in 2015 and its application was accepted on Aug. 5, 2017, during the 50th meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers held in the Philippines.
