Türkiye, Indonesia discuss ways to strengthen cooperation in aviation sector

Türkiye's foreign minister said Saturday he discussed ways to bolster cooperation in the aviation sector with his Indonesian counterpart.

"There is a high demand for Turkish Airlines flights to Indonesia. We discussed ways to strengthen our cooperation in the aviation sector," Hakan Fidan said during a news conference with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi at the ASEAN-Türkiye Sectoral Dialogue Partnership Trilateral Meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Fidan stated that the 2016 coup bid was one of the worst acts of terrorism in Turkish history.

On July 15, 2016, Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) orchestrated a coup bid in Türkiye which left 253 people dead and 2,734 injured.

The day is commemorated as the Democracy and National Unity Day in Türkiye.

"In our meeting today, we discussed the importance of combating terrorism and transnational crimes. We exchanged our views on wide regional and international issues, " Fidan said.

They also discussed global challenges including Islamophobia and desecration of the Muslim holy book Quran, he added.

Recalling that Türkiye and Indonesia established a high level strategic council in 2022, Fidan said: "This was a milestone in our relations. This mechanism will be a concrete step forward to carry out relations into a new phase."

"Indonesia is also a diplomatic partner under our Asia Anew Initiative," he said.

They also exchanged views on holding the first meeting under the Asia Anew Initiative, which aims at capitalizing on potential opportunities of cooperation with Asian countries.

Fidan added Indonesia is Türkiye's strategic partner with a longstanding friendship and collaboration.

"Indonesia is one of the first countries to reach out to Türkiye following the devastating earthquakes in February. We thank Indonesia for the support extended," he said.

More than 50,000 people were killed and over 107,200 injured in the powerful earthquakes that rocked southern Türkiye on Feb. 6, according to the latest official figures.

"We value our relations and remain determined to strengthen them in all possible fields," he added.

Fidan also stressed that the defense industry is one of the prominent topics in the Turkey-Indonesia bilateral agenda.

He highlighted that Turkish defense industry companies are leading in specific areas and emphasized the potential for further collaboration in this field.

Meanwhile, Fidan met with Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto on the sidelines of the ASEAN meeting.