Indonesia-Turkey Bilateral Meeting, Strong Agreements Signed on Defense and Trade Cooperation

Indonesia-Turkey Bilateral Meeting, Strong Agreements Signed on Defense and Trade Cooperation

Jakarta: During Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Indonesia, defense companies from Indonesia and Turkey agreed to establish a jointly operated drone factory. On Wednesday, a joint venture agreement was signed between Turkey's drone manufacturer Baykar and Indonesia's defense company Republikorp for this drone factory.

Erdogan arrived in Indonesia on Tuesday and held the first High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC) meeting with Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto. After the meeting, the two leaders witnessed the signing of the drone factory agreement between Baykar CEO Haluk Bayraktar and Republikorp Chairman Norman Joesoef at the Bogor Palace in West Java.

Prabowo Subianto, during a joint press conference, said, "Indonesia and Turkey will further strengthen our defense and security cooperation, including education and training for our armed forces, intelligence agencies, and counter-terrorism efforts. We have also agreed to increase our cooperation and joint production in the defense industry."

This drone factory agreement, particularly based on Baykar's famous Bayraktar TB2 drone, gained worldwide prominence during the war when Ukraine used it against Russian forces. However, the details of the agreement have not yet been disclosed.

Additionally, Indonesia and Turkey have agreed to expedite discussions on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) to boost bilateral trade, which is expected to be around $2.4 billion in 2024. The two countries signed nine agreements covering areas such as defense, trade, higher education, healthcare, and agriculture.

Erdogan said, "We considered it important to enhance our cooperation across various fields. We will work to increase our annual bilateral trade to $10 billion, and we are committed to doing everything necessary to achieve this."