Introduction
Throughout the 2010s, Türkiye tried to rejuvenate its ties to the Asia-Pacific countries. In this context, since 2010, Türkiye has established strategic partnerships1 with six nations in the Asia-Pacific region: China, Japan, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, and Singapore. The deepening relations with Asia should be seen as a reflection of Turkish identity as an inseparable part of Asia. Türkiye has historical, cultural, linguistic, and religious links with many nations that have helped Türkiye become a nation that bridges differences and various interests. In keeping with Türkiye’s innovative and human-oriented foreign policy and considering the Asia-Pacific’s growing economic and political importance, the country has implemented measures to open up to the region, which has grown significantly in recent years. Turkish bilateral approaches with countries in the Asia-Pacific have resulted in a growing number of Turkish strategic partnerships and thus increased trade and socio-cultural exchanges. This is seen as necessary for rising middle powers such as Türkiye to convert their traditional, lateral relations from one-way to multilayered.2 This is also an opportunity for middle-sized powers to diversify their asymmetrical relationship with great powers by searching for new trade partners. In this context, for Turkish foreign policymakers, this paved the way for such opportunities to be explored in the Asia-Pacific region.
