Good news for Ankara came from the recent 23rd ASEAN Summit in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam and the Special Meeting of ASEAN-China in Beijing, China on late August 2013. The meeting was held in the conjunction of the commemoration of the 10th anniversary of ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership. Speaking on the sidelines of that meeting, Singaporean Foreign Minister, Kasiviswanathan Shanmugam said that ASEAN is looking to establish a dialogue partnership with other countries like Turkey and Brazil. While at the Summit, Indonesia reiterated Minister Shanmugam’s ideas.
Among the other ASEAN countries, probably Singapore is the one who often time blocks other nations who would like to join ASEAN or cooperate with ASEAN as a Dialogue Partner. In 2002, Timor-Leste has expressed its readiness to join the regional group. Timor Leste’s application had always faced rejection from Singapore, which argued that the country would hinder ASEAN’s moves toward a community by 2015. Similar to Pakistan which has been with ASEAN long enough since 1992. Pakistan’s application to become ASEAN’s Dialogue Partner was rejected by Singapore in 2011. Singapore said that Pakistan’s full dialogue status would not benefit ASEAN a whole, so it is better to defer further.
Singapore is the most economic-centrist country in Southeast Asia and tends to avoid any disruption that might affect the emerging economic power of ASEAN due to other nation accession. Minister Shanmugam statements on looking another Dialogue Partner are showing that ASEAN is becoming more flexible in addressing economical and political challenges in the region. Therefore with more Dialogue Partner, hopefully ASEAN could benefit in addressing those challenges.
According to Indonesian Foreign Minister, Marty Natalegawa ASEAN should to engage with emerging market countries – noting that almost all of the BRICS countries are part of the ASEAN Dialogue Partners, except for Brazil which has under consideration. ASEAN is now considering one of the emerging markets like Turkey.
Turkey engagement with ASEAN could be traced back to 2008 when the Turkish officials expressed its readiness to accede to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) in a letter to Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which hold ASEAN Chairmanship at that time. It was realized in July 2010 in the conjunction of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in Hanoi, Vietnam where the Turkish Foreign Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu signed a deal on Turkey’s accession to the TAC. The accession marks a historic step in Turkey’s process of opening up to the Southeast Asian region and since then the Turkish Ambassador to Indonesia has been accredited to ASEAN.
Since then, Ankara officials has visited Southeast Asian capitals to follow-up Turkey efforts to deepening institutional relationship and the opportunity to further stronger its political, economic and cultural ties with the region. During the State Visit of Turkish President, Abdullah Gul to Jakarta in April 2011, he reaffirmed his country`s readiness to be a partner of ASEAN. While Indonesian President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono stated Indonesia’s position as ASEAN’s Chairman at that year would support Ankara intentions to cooperate with the organization.
Another concrete milestone happened in June 2013 where Minister Davutoglu attended the 46th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) in Bandar Seri Begawan as a special guest. In this meeting the Minister Davutoglu share his views on global issues with his ASEAN and its Dialogue Partners counterparts.
Being as ASEAN’s Dialogue Partner obviously will bring enormous advantages to Turkey. Over last decade, the Turkish Government has been trying to set up a free trade agreements with Southeast Asian nations and if Turkey is part of ASEAN’s Dialogue Partner, Ankara could set up a regional free trade pact – ASEAN is a home for 604.8 million people with $2.339 trillion GDP and in 2015 it will become a single integrated economic entity. ASEAN also will serve as Turkey’s gate to Asia-Pacific market and vice-versa – ASEAN’s gate to Eurasia market.
While on political and security, ASEAN’s central role in Asia-Pacific regional security architecture will leverage Turkish profiles in Asia-Pacific and bring Turkey to become more active in Asia-Pacific conflict resolution such as the disputes maritime claims of South China Sea and the Korean Peninsula issues. Turkey geographical position also will bring benefit to Southeast Asian countries to address their political interest in the Middle-East. For an example, the Turkish government has been one of Palestine’s most vocal international advocates, countries in the Southeast Asia such as Indonesia and Malaysia who strongly support the independence of Palestine, should consider this kind of cooperation in regional framework with the Turkish Government.
However the Turkish Government should note that its effort to become ASEAN’s Dialogue Partner can be a long journey. ASEAN works on the basis of consensus and it have to be proved by all the member countries. Not the mention that ASEAN is a very bureaucratic institution. Secondly the ASEAN Secretariat suffers from a shortage of human and other material resources, therefore another country accession to become ASEAN’s Dialogue Partner would burden the work of the Secretariat.
There is no guarantee when Turkey will become ASEAN’s Dialogue Partner. What the Turkish Government should do at this stage is to make sure that the accession of Turkey is on the agenda of ASEAN meetings. This could be done by lobbying respective ASEAN countries, particularly the Chair, Brunei at the moment and other strategic members such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.
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Bio:
Felix Sharief works as ASEAN Research Analyst at the British Embassy Jakarta. Previously he worked at the ASEAN Secretariat and the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia. Opinions expressed are solely his own and do not express the views or opinions of his employer.
This article is entirely the writer original work and have not plagiarized from someone else publications.
