Singapore, an island city-state in Southeast Asia, has an important position in the implementation of Turkey’s Asia Anew initiative, Turkey’s envoy to Singapore Mehmet Burçin Gönenli has said.
"As part of the Asia Anew Initiative, it is one of Turkiye's goals to strengthen cooperation with Asian countries in general, and with Singapore in particular, at regional and multilateral platforms. In this regard, Singapore has a special place in the successful implementation of our Asia Anew Initiative," Gönenli told Anadolu Agency (AA) in a written interview.
Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1969 and the strategic partnership was formed in 2014, he recalled.
Gönenli stressed the importance of the Asia Anew initiative, announced by Turkey in 2019, in terms of bilateral and regional relations.
He said Ankara aims to deepen and consolidate its ties with the Asian continent with the initiative.
Southeast Asia constitutes one of the main parts of the initiative, he said, adding that Turkey's priorities and objectives as part of cooperation with Singapore serve the objectives of the initiative.
The historical ties between the two countries date back to 1865 when the Ottoman Empire appointed its first honorary consul in Singapore, then under British colonial rule.
The first Turkish consul general in Singapore took office on Nov. 7, 1901, while diplomatic relations between Turkey and Singapore were established on Feb. 12, 1969, after Singapore declared its independence in 1965.
While the Turkish Embassy in Singapore opened on Nov. 1, 1985, Singapore's Embassy in Ankara became operational in 2012 and the first resident Singaporean Ambassador in Ankara took up his duties on July 27, 2015.
Furthermore, Turkey and Singapore have signed two important agreements, the Turkey-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (TRSFTA) concluded in 2015 and the Singapore-Turkey Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement (DTA) of 2001.
With the aim of improving ties with Asian countries in different areas, Turkey 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.
Turkey considers the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) a key organization in the region, considering its combined economy, dynamic population and strategic location. Turkey applied to become a sectoral dialogue partner to ASEAN in 2015 and its application was accepted on Aug. 5, 2017, during the 50th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting held in the Philippines.