On June 2, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan arrived in Jakarta, Indonesia, beginning an official visit aimed at deepening the partnership between the two nations. According to Turkish media, Fidan met with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Foreign Minister Sugiono to discuss measures to enhance cooperation.
The talks focused on expanding collaboration in defense, including previous Indonesian procurement programs involving Turkey, and joint development of armored vehicle technology and drones. The discussions also covered energy projects, transportation connectivity, artificial intelligence (AI), and the halal sector.
Speaking on the Turkish social media platform NSosyal after the meetings, Foreign Minister Fidan described the discussions as “very productive” and said they advanced a “broad agenda” shared by both countries.
The two nations are working toward a target of raising bilateral trade to $10 billion, while expanding cooperation in strategic areas such as defense production, energy security, transportation infrastructure, AI, and the halal food industry. According to Indonesia’s Central Statistics Agency (BPS), bilateral trade rose from $2.1 billion in 2023 to nearly $2.4 billion in 2024. Indonesia’s trade surplus with Turkey also grew from $940 million to nearly $1.5 billion over the same period.
The $10 billion trade target, while modest compared to Indonesia’s major partners like China, Japan, or the United States, would mark a significant upgrade in South-South economic cooperation, as both emerging economies share a historic commitment to developing nations. Analysts often regard Indonesia and Turkey as “middle powers” seeking greater autonomy in a world order dominated by the interactions of major powers like the U.S. and China.
Both Turkey and Indonesia are populous Muslim-majority nations located at strategic crossroads: Turkey between Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia; Indonesia on key sea lanes in Southeast Asia. Both pursue independent foreign policies and emphasize sovereignty and strategic autonomy in a multipolar global order.
Bilateral ties are currently warm. Turkey recently played a key role in repatriating Indonesian activists detained by Israel while participating in the Global Sumud flotilla, which attempted to deliver humanitarian aid by sea to Gaza. Indonesian officials described the incident as an example of “solidarity in action.” The two countries also frequently coordinate positions at the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on the war in Gaza and the issue of a Palestinian state.
