Ankara, 28 June 2022 (TDI): The Foreign Minister of Turkiye, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, held a meeting with Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Singapore. Singapore serves as Turkiye’s strategic partner in Southeast Asia.
During their discussion, the two ministers discussed regional and international concerns as well as our bilateral relations. The foreign ministers reinforced the strong bonds between Singapore and Turkey.
Çavuşoğlu and Balakrishnan spoke about expanding commercial and investment collaboration. Increasing the export of Turkish food and agricultural products to Singapore is one example of this.
Long-term investors in Turkey include Singaporean firms. The rising strategic importance and hub status of Turkey at the intersection of Asia and Europe were thus also topics of discussion between the two foreign ministers.
In addition, the two foreign ministers also discussed geostrategic developments, such as the state of Ukraine, and exchanged opinions on them. In order to enable the secure shipment of grains from Ukrainian ports, Minister Balakrishnan applauded Turkey’s efforts to find a solution.
The foreign minister of Singapore also praised the strengthening relationship between ASEAN and Turkey. The Turkish foreign minister anticipated Turkey’s continued involvement in the region.
Turkiye-Singapore bilateral ties
Singapore and Turkiye have a long history together. Southeast Asia’s major hub for trade and logistics has historically been Singapore.
Under the AKP, economic considerations are central to Turkish foreign policy. Trade ties between the two nations have been even stronger over time in this regard.
Furthermore, two significant agreements have also been struck between Singapore and Turkey. These include the Singapore-Turkey Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement (DTA) from 2001 and the Turkiye-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (TRSFTA), both of which were completed in 2015.
Turkiye and Singapore have similar views on topics like religious harmony, intercultural communication, and peacefully resolving international conflicts.
Moreover, the Turkish and Singaporean sides discussed problems pertaining to the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
As a result, the two nations signed a memorandum of understanding on the fight against terrorism.
