Türkiye, Indonesia deepen partnership, pledge support for Gaza rebuild

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties and expanding cooperation across multiple sectors.

"We discussed the efforts we can undertake to expand and balance our trade volume to $10 billion," Turkish President said during a joint news conference on Wednesday in the city of Bogor, following the signing of 13 joint agreements in a range of areas including trade, defence and media.

"We are determined to strengthen the partnership between Indonesia and Türkiye," Subianto stated, emphasising the need for deeper collaboration. He highlighted the importance of bolstering defence industry cooperation between the two nations.

Looking toward the future, Subianto underscored the significance of the year 2050, calling it "an important turning point in preparing for the centenary of Indonesia-Türkiye partnership."

$100B damage in Gaza

In addition to strengthening ties, both leaders addressed pressing regional issues, particularly the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

Erdogan reiterated Türkiye's firm stance on the Palestinian issue, stressing that the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state based on 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, "cannot be delayed any longer."

He further stated, "Other states in the region cannot achieve stability until Gaza and Palestinians find peace," and reiterated Türkiye's diplomatic efforts to find a long-term solution.

Erdogan also commended Indonesia's support for Palestine, and pledged continued cooperation between the two nations in the reconstruction of Gaza.

Highlighting the humanitarian and economic toll of the ongoing attacks on Gaza, Erdogan pointed out that Israel's 15-month-long assault had caused nearly $100 billion in damage. He asserted that "the perpetrator must be held accountable according to legal principles."

The two countries are holding their first High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC) summit after agreeing to create the forum at a meeting in Bali in 2022.

Erdogan will head on to Pakistan on Wednesday, where he and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will address the Pakistan-Türkiye Business and Investment Forum and attend another HLSCC meeting.