'Türkiye sees Asian regional bloc ASEAN as a key partner'

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA (AA) - Ankara sees the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as a key partner in the Asia-Pacific region, the Turkish deputy foreign minister said on Tuesday.

"ASEAN constitutes a successful model of regional cooperation and one of the best examples of unity and diversity," Sedat Onal 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.

Türkiye was granted the status of ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partner in 2017.

"We aim to develop deeper and broader cooperation with the ASEAN and its individual member states on the basis of common objectives and interests," Onal said.

He said culture and education are dynamic areas of cooperation, adding Türkiye wants to enhance dialogue with ASEAN and increase cooperation under 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 non-governmental 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.