Visit by Minister of State (MOS) in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Trade and Industry Gan Siow Huang to Türkiye, 15 to 19 April 2026

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18 April 2026

Visit by Minister of State (MOS) in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Trade and Industry Gan Siow Huang to Türkiye, 15 to 19 April 2026

Minister of State (MOS) in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the Ministry of Trade and Industry Gan Siow Huang is on a visit to Türkiye.

In Antalya, MOS Gan spoke on a panel at the 5^th Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF) titled "Navigating Regional and Global Challenges: ASEAN's External Partnerships in an Era of Strategic Rivalry" on 17 April 2026. MOS Gan reaffirmed Türkiye's longstanding partnership with ASEAN and highlighted emerging areas in which both sides could strengthen cooperation, such as the digital economy. The transcript of MOS Gan's opening remarks is appended at Annex.

On the sidelines of the ADF, MOS Gan called on Türkiye Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır. They discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation, particularly in trade, research, and innovation. MOS Gan also met Bosnia and Herzegovina Minister of Foreign Affairs Elmedin Konaković, Costa Rica Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship Arnoldo André Tinoco, Croatia State Secretary for Political Affairs Frano Matušić, Guatemala Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Mónica Bolaños Pérez, Montenegro Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Ervin Ibrahimović, Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Palestine Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Varsen Aghabekian, Republic of Korea Vice Minister for Strategy and Intelligence Jeong Yeon-doo, Venezuela Deputy Minister of Asia, Middle East, and Oceania Andrea Gabriela Corao Faría, and Secretary General of the Organisation of Turkic States Kubanychbek Omuraliev. They discussed global and regional developments, and avenues for deepening multilateral and bilateral cooperation to uphold a rules-based international order.

In İstanbul, MOS Gan met the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK) and academics. They exchanged views on enhancing bilateral cooperation, as well as on regional and global developments. MOS Gan will engage the Singaporean community in İstanbul in a Hari Raya reception today.

MOS Gan departs Türkiye for Singapore tomorrow.

. . . .

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE

18 APRIL 2026

Annex

Daniel Rahman (Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute): Against the backdrop of a very challenging year, perhaps you could share with us what are the key challenges that ASEAN faces currently, and how can ASEAN utilise its areas of strength to enhance cooperation with external partners amid great power competition?

Minister of State Gan Siow Huang: Thanks, Daniel. I thought you gave me the toughest question for the start of this session. First of all, I would say that ASEAN has come a long way. Next year, ASEAN celebrates its 60th anniversary. ASEAN has its strengths and has grown over the years. ASEAN now has 670 million people, and the population is fairly young. The median age is in the mid-30s, and there is a growing middle class. ASEAN is also projected to be the fourth largest economy in the world by 2030. Today, ASEAN's combined GDP is about 4 trillion US dollars. So, it is a sizable market, and it is certainly a growing region in terms of prominence and relevance. Now, ASEAN as a region, also has challenges because of the different stages of development of the ASEAN members. We used to have 10, and now 11. Timor Leste just joined. Just like in the past, when we inducted new Member States, it is a journey for us as a collective group to support one another and also to integrate the economies. Now, I am proud to say that we have made some good progress. ASEAN, as a bloc, recently concluded the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA), and this framework will allow us to be more interoperable and to be more competitive in a digital economy. It is not just amongst ASEAN countries, but it positions us well to work with other regions. On this point, I would like to say that there are some building blocks. Using Singapore and Türkiye as an example, and I am speaking on behalf of the experience from the perspective of Singapore. Singapore and Türkiye have a Strategic Partnership since 2014. We also have a Free Trade Agreement between Singapore and Türkiye that came into force since 2017. Our trade in goods and services have grown by about 50%, and Singapore's investments in Türkiye have grown by about 90% since then. There is more that we can do that, e.g., we have upgraded our Air Transport Agreement (ATA) since September 2025. Going back to your question, I think there are many opportunities for growth. For ASEAN as a region, there is also growth to pursue with partners like Türkiye, which hopefully will come on board as a Dialogue Partner soon, to able to benefit from the growth of the region. There are challenges, indeed, but also many opportunities. I will stop here. Thank you.