Jakarta – Indonesia’s Minister of Defense and President-elect Prabowo Subianto met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey, on Tuesday, July 30.

Erdoğan welcomed Prabowo with a state ceremony, warmly shaking hands before walking together into the Palace.

During the meeting, Erdoğan congratulated Prabowo on his election as president and expressed hope that Prabowo would visit Turkey again after his inauguration.

Prabowo felt honored by the warm reception in Turkey.

“It is a great honor for me to be received by His Excellency Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of the Republic of Turkey, to discuss our comprehensive bilateral relations,” Prabowo said.

Furthermore, Prabowo emphasized that Indonesia regards Turkey as an important, friendly country and a partner in defense cooperation.

“With the many opportunities before us, Indonesia is committed to further strengthening its strategic partnership with Turkey. We remain determined to enhance the historical friendship between our two countries,” Prabowo added.

During his stay in Ankara, Prabowo also met with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, and several defense industry leaders.

These meetings discussed various top-priority sectors in Indonesia-Turkey bilateral relations, such as the defense industry, trade, energy, construction, and healthcare.