Indonesia's Prabowo, Turkey's Erdogan agree to bolster ties / Photo: © AFP
-
How to Watch the Rugby League World Cup Final on 7plus for Free
-
Women's Asian Champions Trophy 2026 in Bhopal Revives Hockey Legacy
-
Kayla Harrison Defeats Amanda Nunes via Submission at UFC 334
-
California GOP Faces Near-Extinction After 2026 Midterms; Calls for New Vision
-
GTA 6 Advertising Strategy and Disc Version Controversy
-
St Francis School Leads €60,000 EU Project to Transform Early Childhood Education
-
From First Date to Wedding Day: How a TV Quote Sparked a Lifetime Commitment
-
South Africa's Universal Health Coverage Depends on Tackling Poverty and Inequality
-
Malta Stuns Sweden with Late Penalty Comeback in Rugby Europe Trophy
-
Rare Siberian Rubythroat Dies in UK Garden After Cat Attack
-
BingX: Major Announcement of Far-Reaching Significance
-
Go Kyung-pyo Drunk Driving Incident Prompts Heavy Editing Across Multiple TV Shows
-
Élan Opens as Late-Night Wine Bar in Honolulu
-
KFF Health News Reporters Discuss ACA Enrollment Challenges, Rising Costs, and Measles Risks
Indonesia's Prabowo, Turkey's Erdogan agree to bolster ties
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan held talks Wednesday, signing a series of agreements to boost trade and defence ties between the Muslim-majority nations, including a joint venture to build drones.
The Turkish leader was visiting Southeast Asia's largest economy after travelling to Malaysia and before heading to Pakistan on a four-day tour of key allies in the Islamic world.
He was greeted at a presidential palace in Bogor, a city south of the capital Jakarta, by a traditional marching band, national anthems and schoolchildren waving flags.
"We are committed to increasing trade between the two countries, which is mutually beneficial," Prabowo said after talks with Erdogan.
"We also agree to increase joint production and cooperation in the defence industry."
Prabowo said that would include joint training for soldiers and closer collaboration on counter-terrorism and intelligence.
A dozen agreements on trade, energy, higher education and religious affairs were signed by ministers and officials, including a deal to manufacture drones in Indonesia, as the pair watched on.
Prabowo earlier called Erdogan "my close friend, my brother" after his arrival and said both sides were also trying to accelerate the signing of a free trade agreement.
The leaders held their nations' first High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council meeting before the agreements were signed.
Erdogan said the pair talked about global issues including Syria and the Palestinian cause, alongside future deals seeking to boost their trade to $10 billion a year.
Indonesia and Turkey's trade in 2024 was worth $2.4 billion, according to Indonesia's trade ministry.
The leaders last met in July for talks in the Turkish capital Ankara before then-defence minister Prabowo was officially inaugurated as Indonesia's president.
Relations between the two countries grew closer under Prabowo's predecessor Joko Widodo, who paid a state visit to Turkey in 2017.
In 2023, Indonesia purchased 12 Turkish drones worth around $300 million in a push to upgrade its ageing military.
Both are members of the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation where they are staunch supporters of Palestinians and vocal critics of Israel.
T.Bondarenko--BTB
