This year, Indonesia and Türkiye commemorate 75 years of diplomatic relations. As a matter of fact, the deep-rooted history of bilateral ties between the two nations predates this milestone. The strong historical relationship and the active roles of both countries in regional and global economic and security stability provide a solid foundation for strengthening Indonesia-Türkiye relations under the administrations of President Prabowo Subianto and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The roots of Indonesia-Türkiye relations can be traced back to the Ottoman Empire. In the 16th century, the Aceh Sultanate sought assistance from the Ottomans against the Portuguese forces in the Malacca. In response, the Ottomans sent troops to Aceh. To counter European imperialism, the Ottomans also forged military ties with the Mataram, Demak and Ternate sultanates in the Indonesian archipelago. One significant form of technical assistance provided by the Ottomans at that time was cannon-making, which subsequently influenced weaponry development across Southeast Asia.
Fast forward to the modern days, recognizing Indonesia's independence on Dec. 29, 1949, Türkiye became one of the first 10 nations to do so. It was continued by establishing diplomatic relations in 1950. Subsequently, both countries opened embassies in each other's capitals in 1957 and 1958.
In contemporary times, Indonesia and Türkiye have actively participated in various international forums such as the D-8, Organisation for Islamic Cooperation (OIC), MIKTA and G-20. Through the D-8 and OIC, Indonesia and Türkiye, together with six other developing Muslim countries, have fostered economic cooperation to diversify trade relations, enhance participation in global decision-making and improve the living standards of the citizens of its member countries.
Within the OIC, Indonesia and Türkiye have consistently championed the Palestinian cause, advocating for a two-state solution and calling for increased humanitarian access to Gaza. Türkiye has consistently condemned the atrocities committed by Israel in the Middle East. Given her political leverage, Türkiye has been instrumental in exerting pressure on Israel to cease its attacks on Gaza. Concurrently, Indonesia has maintained its commitment to providing humanitarian assistance and deploying volunteers to aid the victims of the Gaza conflict.
During the G-20 Leaders Summit in Rio de Janeiro, President Prabowo met with President Erdoğan at the concurrent MIKTA leaders’ gathering, a cross-regional partnership of G-20 members committed to building consensus on global issues. Prior to this meeting, President Prabowo already had a close relationship with Türkiye. He has met Türkiye’s leader more times than any Indonesian leader before, a significant indication of how important Türkiye is to Indonesia.
President Prabowo’s visits to Türkiye already started during his tenure as minister of defense from 2019-2024, significantly enhancing possible defense cooperation between the two nations. While the Ottoman Empire once taught Indonesia the art of cannon-making, today, the defense industries of both countries, FNSS and PT Pindad, now jointly produce KAPLAN medium tanks.
A century of Türkiye’s foreign policy vision prioritizes an independent approach to foreign affairs, which resonates with Indonesian foreign policy of “free” and “active.” Indonesia’s free and active foreign policy means maintaining an independent stance, not aligning with any single major world power. Hence, it means actively participating in international affairs to promote peace and justice on the global stage and essentially taking an independent yet engaged role in addressing global issues. It is, of course, a slightly different case since Türkiye is a NATO member, but Türkiye remains active in seeking global balance as well.
As the sole NATO member seeking to join BRICS, Türkiye occupies a distinctive geopolitical strategic position. Turkish membership in BRICS would offer the opportunity to diversify its trade partnerships. It is not surprising that Türkiye, at the same time, still considers full membership in the European Union as a main agenda.
Similarly, while becoming a member of BRICS, Indonesia remains an active and responsible member of other multilateral platforms that accommodate the interests of both the Western and Global South countries.
Türkiye, Indonesia and other BRICS members can jointly push for cooperation and put forward developing countries' mutual development interests. Both Indonesia and Türkiye are entering an era of “multi-alignment” strategies to navigate the uncertainties as the geopolitical and geoeconomic tensions between the U.S. and China continue to influence global politics.
The good relations between Indonesia and Türkiye may also be rooted at the domestic level. Indonesia and Türkiye share similarities in social programs at the domestic level. Türkiye has implemented a program to provide free meals to all children in preschool education nationwide starting in 2023, marking a significant step toward a wider free lunch program in schools.
Earlier this year, in January 2025, Indonesia also started a similar nationwide free nutritious meal program with an ambitious target of reaching 82.9 million beneficiaries, school children and women in pregnancies, within five years. Our two countries can collaborate by sharing experiences and best practices to enhance the implementation of such programs, ultimately improving nutritional outcomes and educational access for future generations in the two countries.
President Erdoğan’s important visit to Jakarta on Feb. 11-12 highlights shared interests between Türkiye and Indonesia to embark on strategic relations. It marks 75 years of diplomacy and renews commitment to forge productive relations in more years to come. In Jakarta, Erdoğan and Subianto had their first-ever meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSC) after launching it in Bali in November 2022. HLSC is the highest level of bilateral meeting mechanism led by the top leaders of the two countries, which is a testament to how strategically important the relationship between the two countries is.
During the HLSC meeting, Erdoğan and Subianto agreed that Türkiye and Indonesia shared mutual interests that can be achieved at regional and multilateral levels. Both presidents agreed that there are a lot of opportunities to increase trade relations. Cooperation with Türkiye in the defense industry is deemed necessary for Indonesia as Türkiye has advanced significantly in this area. For example, the two presidents agreed on developing a joint venture to produce drones.
In line with the theme of commemorating the 75th year of diplomatic relations, “Partnership for the People, for the New World,” people-to-people relations are an important part. In the HLSC, the two leaders discussed and decided to increase cooperation in areas of higher education, including the exchange of students through scholarships. On regional and global issues, strategic partnership will be of utmost importance. Türkiye, as stated by Erdoğan during the meeting, might become the Dialogue Partner of ASEAN with the support from Indonesia. Another important shared interest and goal between Indonesia and Türkiye is the continued support for peace in the Middle East, particularly in supporting the peace effort for the two-state solution so that a sovereign and independent Palestine can be achieved.
The highest-level meeting between the two leaders, which just occurred in Jakarta, has indeed renewed the commitment from both sides to stronger relations between Indonesia and Türkiye. By strengthening our strategic partnership based on a shared vision for economic growth, security, and global influence, Indonesia and Türkiye can act as two key players in shaping a more balanced and just international order.
