Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with his Indonesian counterpart, Prabowo Subianto, on Wednesday for discussions aimed at deepening economic and defence ties between the two Muslim-majority nations. Erdoğan’s visit to Indonesia, the most populous Muslim-majority country and Southeast Asia’s largest economy, marked the second stop in his four-day diplomatic tour, which also includes Malaysia and Pakistan. The meeting was held as part of the first High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC) summit between Turkey and Indonesia, a forum established following the G20 Summit in Bali in 2022.

The talks covered a range of regional and global issues, focusing on the war in Gaza. During a joint press conference, Subianto described the discussions as “intensive and productive,” emphasising both nations’ shared commitment to strengthening their strategic partnership. Indonesia, a longstanding advocate for Palestinian rights, reiterated its support for a ceasefire and a two-state solution. Erdoğan expressed appreciation for Indonesia’s firm stance on the Palestinian issue and once again called for Israel to be held accountable for Gaza’s reconstruction, estimating the damage from the prolonged attacks at nearly $100 billion.

Erdoğan and First Lady Emine Erdoğan arrived in Jakarta late on Tuesday, where they were welcomed by Subianto at Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport despite light rain. The leaders later travelled together in a motorcade. Indonesia and Turkey have significantly bolstered their relations in recent years, with their most recent meeting before this visit taking place in Ankara last July when Subianto was still president-elect and serving as defence minister. Since signing a defence cooperation agreement in 2010, the two nations have collaborated on various projects, including the joint development of a medium tank. In 2023, they further expanded cooperation by agreeing on joint military exercises and defence industry initiatives.

During Wednesday’s meeting, Erdoğan and Subianto also oversaw the signing of multiple agreements covering trade, investment, education, energy, agriculture, health, and religious services. Notably, the leaders signed an agreement for the joint development of a Baykar combat-drone factory in Indonesia, with Erdoğan pledging Turkish investment in Indonesia’s new capital on Borneo island. He also expressed hopes of increasing bilateral trade by $10 billion annually. Erdoğan is set to continue his diplomatic tour, travelling to Pakistan on Wednesday, where he and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will participate in the Pakistan-Turkey Business and Investment Forum and attend another HLSCC meeting.