Promoting Asia-focused strategy

Turkey, a country geographically connecting the continents of Asia and Europe, is actively advancing its Asia-focused strategy. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to several Asian countries from February 10 to 13 marked a solid step in implementing this strategy, with the aim to expand opportunities for integration and development and enhance Ankara's international standing.

President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The stops on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Asian tour included Malaysia, Indonesia, and Pakistan — three countries with large Muslim populations that are key allies of Ankara within the Islamic community. Based on religious ties, the Turkish leader’s visit yielded significant outcomes, with numerous agreements signed.

During his official visit to Malaysia, President Erdogan and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim witnessed the exchange of 11 memorandums of understanding to strengthen cooperation in various fields, including energy transition, disaster management, defence, trade, and media collaboration.

At his second destination in Indonesia, President Erdogan and his Indonesian counterpart Prabowo Subianto co-chaired the first Meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council. The two leaders witnessed the signing of several cooperation agreements in trade, investment, education, and technology.

The relationship between Jakarta and Ankara saw significant progress under former Indonesian President Joko Widodo. Notably, in 2023, Indonesia spent approximately 300 million USD to purchase 12 Turkish unmanned aerial vehicles as part of its military modernisation efforts.

In Pakistan, President Erdogan and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif co-chaired the seventh session of the Pakistan-Turkey High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council. According to Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper, the two sides signed several memorandums of understanding to facilitate investment and eliminate non-tariff barriers.

With its strategic geographical position between Asia and Europe, Turkey is considered a bridge between East and West in economic activities. Asia, with its abundant workforce and deep integration into global supply chains, has been increasingly attracting Ankara to expand cooperation and investment. The London-based think tank Asia House predicts that Asian economies will drive global growth in 2025 despite current challenges.

Ahead of President Erdogan’s tour, Nail Olpak, President of the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK), emphasised that Ankara remains committed to strengthening trade and investment ties with the Asia-Pacific region. In the defence industry, Turkish arms manufacturers are also striving to expand their market in Asia. Indonesia, Malaysia, and Pakistan are among Turkey’s key defence customers, with high demand for next-generation drones, anti-ship missiles, and warships.

In 2019, Turkey launched the Asia Anew initiative, aiming to strengthen ties with Asian nations. This pivot toward Asia is seen as a strategy to enhance Turkey’s global standing, especially as Ankara’s path to joining the EU remains challenging and Turkey-EU relations face multiple obstacles.

At the same time, as the Middle East faces new and complex developments, Turkey is prioritising coordination with other Islamic nations to pressure Israel into halting the conflict and facilitate Gaza's reconstruction. According to Murat Yas, a scholar at Marmara University in Turkey, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Turkey are all taking a leading role in advocating for post-conflict reconstruction and humanitarian aid in Gaza.

Given Asia’s increasing importance and strong growth prospects, Turkey’s efforts to strengthen its ties with the region are a natural trend, especially as the global economic recovery faces numerous risks. The Asia-focused strategy plays a crucial role in enhancing Turkey’s global standing and influence.

NDO