Relationship dossier
Turkey
South Korea
Relationship assessment
A close partnership rooted in Korean War ties, strategic cooperation, trade and defense links
Turkey toward South Korea
+50Turkey sent military forces to support South Korea during the Korean War. The Turkish and South Korean governments later established a strategic partnership and a free trade agreement, providing frameworks for continued bilateral cooperation.
South Korea toward Turkey
+50South Korea has cooperated with Turkey on defense, including technology cooperation related to Turkey’s Altay tank program, and provided assistance to Turkey after the 2023 earthquakes. The two governments also established a strategic partnership and a free trade agreement.
Overall relationship
+50The relationship combines a significant historical foundation—Turkey’s Korean War support for South Korea—with subsequent institutionalized cooperation. The strategic partnership, free trade agreement, defense links and humanitarian assistance reflect durable ties across several areas.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Turkey and South Korea maintain a close relationship shaped by Turkey’s military support during the Korean War and sustained cooperation since then. The two governments designated their relationship a strategic partnership, and their free trade agreement has supported economic ties. Defense cooperation and South Korean assistance after the 2023 earthquakes add practical dimensions to the partnership.
Key developments
Turkey sent military forces to support South Korea during the Korean War.
Turkey and South Korea designated their bilateral relationship a strategic partnership.
The Turkey–South Korea free trade agreement entered into force.
South Korea provided assistance to Turkey after the 2023 earthquakes.
Major uncertainties
- The current scope and implementation of bilateral defense cooperation are unclear.
- The scale of South Korean assistance to Turkey after the 2023 earthquakes is unclear.