Turkey calls for closer cooperation with Indonesia to fight terrorism
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he hopes to have a more effective and efficient mechanism to counter the scourge.
By
Saifulbahri Ismail
POSTED: 31 Jul 2015 16:44
Indonesian President Joko Widodo (L) welcomes Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L2)
JAKARTA: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would like to have closer cooperation with Indonesia in the fight against terrorism.
Speaking at the National Resilience Institute in Jakarta on Friday (Jul 31), Mr Erdogan said he hopes to have a more effective and efficient mechanism to counter the scourge.
Mr Erdogan is in Indonesia for a three-day state visit. This is his first visit to the country since taking office as head of state last year.
During his lecture, Mr Erdogan refuted allegations that Turkey is at fault for allowing foreign fighters to enter Syria to join the Islamic State militant group. He said that the accusations are ungrounded and unjustified.
Instead, Mr Erdogan blamed countries who failed to track their own citizens engaging in terrorist activities and take the necessary precautions in time. He explained that Turkey has a land border with Syria spanning about 900 kilometres, and it is difficult to stop people from entering Syria.
In addition, Mr Erdogan said Turkey is facing powers who try to convey the image that Turkey is assisting terrorist organisations. He stressed that his country is not involved and will never be a part of it.
Mr Erdogan says his country has detected some 16,000 foreign fighters who have planned to join the Islamic State militant group in Syria. So far, Turkey has banned more than 6,000 people from entering the country and deported more than 1,600 if they are suspected to be involved in any extremist activities.
In his address, Mr Erdogan repeated his call for reform of the United Nations (UN), saying the world is suffering because of the decisions made by the UN Security Council. He said the world needs a fairer representation at that level.
He says the solution to tackling religious extremism lies in co-operation and consultation among countries.
The players outside the region should also be involved towards a solution,” said Mr Erdogan. “We have been talking with Indonesia, when it comes to these matters for a while now, and we will continue. When it comes to contributing to global stability our policies overlap.”
BILATERAL FREE TRADE AGREEMENT
Also high on the agenda was how both countries can foster closer economic ties. According to the Indonesian Foreign Ministry, trade between Turkey and Indonesia topped US$2.5 billion last year.
Indonesia aims to more than double its export numbers to Turkey in the next four years, with a target of close to US$4 billion. Indonesia’s main exports to Turkey are natural rubber, synthetic fibre, palm oil and textile.
“We have agreed to remove any trade barriers immediately, and with regards to barriers on the Free Trade Agreement, which we are still pursuing, we have set a target to conclude it by this year,” said Indonesia President Joko Widodo.
Indonesia and Turkey also have agreed to set up a joint economic commission this year to further explore opportunities in both countries.
Mr Erdogan is no stranger to Indonesia having visited the country three times before as Prime Minister of Turkey.
Mr Erdogan hopes his visit to Indonesia will further strengthen bilateral relations. He says that even though Turkey and Indonesia are located at separate ends of Asia, the two countries share a close relationship, united by the same faith.
- CNA/ek/ec
Turkey calls for closer cooperation with Indonesia to fight terrorism - Channel NewsAsia