This study analyzes Necmettin Erbakan’s Southeast Asia trip, which included Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia, and its outcomes on Turkey’s economy and foreign policy. An influential politician, Necmettin Erbakan served as the Prime Minister of the Republic of Türkiye between 1996 and 1997. His term as Prime Minister was a period of significant changes in Turkish foreign policy. Believing that Türkiye should pursue a foreign policy in line with its own values, culture, and history, Erbakan attempted to reorient Turkish foreign policy from a Western to an Eastern focus. Aiming to cooperate with Islamic countries in particular, he planned his first overseas trip in this direction and first visited Iran and Pakistan, two key countries in the Islamic world. Then, turning his attention to Southeast Asia, Erbakan first visited Singapore, an Asian country developed by European standards. Then, he visited Malaysia, which is rapidly growing in Southeast Asia and constitutes the best synthesis of Islam and economic development, and finally Indonesia, which has special importance with its large Muslim population and strategic location in the region. This trip had significant results, including the signing of economic cooperation agreements covering issues such as increasing trade between Türkiye and Southeast Asian countries, evaluating mutual investment opportunities, and technology transfer. It also contributed to Türkiye's recognition as a modern, developing, and important country in the Islamic world. As a result, this trip increased Türkiye's strategic importance in Southeast Asia. More importantly, this trip laid the foundations for future diplomatic relations
