TÜRKIYE has expressed a strong interest in joining the 2025 ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur as a Dialogue Partner, according to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.
The interest was formally conveyed by Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz during a courtesy call in Ankara on Tuesday, held as part of Fadillah’s two-day official visit to the republic.
Fadillah, who also serves as Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation, said Türkiye is hopeful that Malaysia, as this year’s ASEAN Chair, will support its ambition to deepen ties with the regional bloc.
“To become a dialogue partner, Turkiye must secure consensus from all ASEAN member states. I will personally convey the request to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for discussion at the ASEAN leadership level. If there is agreement, Turkiye will certainly be invited,” he said.
He noted that even if full Dialogue Partner status has not yet been granted, Türkiye could still be invited to participate in the business segment of the ASEAN Energy Ministers’ Meeting scheduled for September.
“We may invite them to present or participate on a business basis, not as a Dialogue Partner but as an entity involved in the forum. That’s something we can likely accommodate,” he said in an interview with Bernama on Tuesday evening.
The meeting also covered economic issues, with Türkiye expressing keen interest in Malaysia’s strategic response to recent US tariffs and other global economic challenges. Fadillah said Malaysia is equally interested in learning from Türkiye’s advances in energy, water management, and technology.
“In the energy context, we are exploring closer cooperation, particularly learning from Turkiye’s approach to increasing energy trade and exchange within Europe,” he said.
Türkiye is recognised as a global leader in renewable energy, generating over 50 per cent of its electricity from clean sources including hydroelectric, solar and geothermal power.
Fadillah added that Yilmaz also emphasised the importance of narrowing the trade deficit between the two nations, while promoting deeper ties across government, business and civil society.
“They are also looking to elevate the existing high-level committee to include ministerial representation. Our embassy is currently working with their Turkish counterparts to finalise the details,” he said.
Discussions also touched on the potential for expanding cultural and student exchange programmes as part of broader people-to-people engagement. - April 23, 2025
