Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto will take the floor at the Turkish Grand National Assembly on Thursday, in a rare opportunity for foreign leaders to address Parliament
Parliament on Thursday will host Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, a guest of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Subianto will be the third sitting Indonesian president to address Parliament, where speeches by foreign presidents have been rare. The last leader to address Parliament was Palestine’s Mahmoud Abbas, who received a warm welcome and thunderous applause in his fervent speech last August.
President Erdoğan is expected to attend the general assembly session of Parliament to hear the Indonesian leader’s speech, along with foreign diplomats and dignitaries.
Prior to his speech, Subianto will hold talks with Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş, who will later preside over the session where Subianto will speak. The authorities have increased security measures in and around Parliament for the special session.
Erdoğan was a guest of Subianto in February as he visited Indonesia as part of his Asia tour. Like in his previous stopover in Malaysia, Erdoğan was embraced by the Indonesian authorities, hailing his visit as a new milestone in cooperation between the two countries. Erdoğan gifted Subianto a Togg, Türkiye’s locally-made car, during the visit.
Türkiye and Indonesia mark the 75th year of diplomatic relations this year. The two counties signed 13 new deals during Erdoğan’s visit. In his joint news conference with Subianto in Jakarta in February, Erdoğan, a staunch advocate of the Palestinian cause, praised Indonesia’s stand on the matter and vowed to work together with the country for the reconstruction of Gaza and in defending the Palestinian cause. For his part, the Indonesian president hailed longstanding ties with Türkiye and their will to reinforce their partnership. Subianto has underlined their resolve to further defense cooperation in particular.
Relations further strengthened under Erdoğan’s lengthy tenure, first as prime minister and later as president. Before that, the countries trace back their ties to the 16th century, when the Aceh Sultanate sought assistance from the Ottoman Empire against the Portuguese, and Ottoman troops were deployed subsequently. These military ties took the form of modern-day defense co-operation, including joint production of tanks between Turkish and Indonesian companies. The two countries also cooperate and coordinate on international platforms, including the D-8, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and MIKTA.
The Indonesian president is also expected to attend the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in the eponymous southern Turkish city, though it is not confirmed yet. The forum is scheduled to open on Friday with speeches by Erdoğan and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. It will bring together some 20 heads of state and government, 60 foreign ministers and some 60 regional and secretaries-general of international organizations. This year’s theme, “Reclaiming Diplomacy in a Fragmented World,” reflects the pressing need for diplomacy to reassert itself as a stabilizing force amid rising global divisions, organizers said.
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