From Jakarta to ASEAN: Türkiye’s expanding footprint in Asia PHOTO

Indonesia and Türkiye are steadily deepening their bilateral ties, as highlighted by recent high-level visits: Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto travelled to Türkiye in April 2025, shortly after welcoming Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to Jakarta in February. These visits symbolize the growing strategic partnership between the two nations and reflect Türkiye’s broader diplomatic push in Southeast Asia under its 2019 Asia Anew Initiative, which emphasizes stronger economic and political engagement with Asia.

Defence collaboration is central to the Indonesia-Türkiye relationship. Indonesia sees Türkiye—home to NATO’s second-largest military—as a key defence partner. The two countries have cooperated since 2010 on defence manufacturing, as an article by the Atlantic Council highlights, such as the co-development of the Kaplan MT medium-weight tank. In 2023, Indonesia purchased $300 million worth of Turkish drones, and in 2025, the countries signed a significant new agreement: Türkiye’s defence giant Baykar, renowned for their military UAV's, will export 69 drones to Indonesia and jointly build a drone factory there with the Indonesian firm Republikorp.

Beyond drones, Turkish Aerospace and Indonesia’s Dirgantara have also agreed to collaborate on aircraft production and modernisation, including the N219 aircraft and Turkish CN235 fleet. These joint projects align with Prabowo’s military background and Indonesia’s ambition to modernise its defence capabilities while strengthening partnerships beyond traditional Western suppliers.

Economic cooperation is also expanding. In 2024, bilateral trade between Indonesia and Türkiye rose over 12 percent to reach $2.4 billion. Since 2017, the two countries have been negotiating the Indonesian-Turkish Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, aiming to remove trade barriers and broaden access to each other’s markets. During Erdoğan’s February visit, the leaders signed 13 new agreements spanning energy, health, agriculture, defence, communication, and education.

Indonesia’s planned new capital, Nusantara, presents another area of opportunity. Erdoğan expressed interest in involving Turkish construction firms in the city’s development, a major infrastructure initiative that aligns with Ankara’s growing interest in participating in Southeast Asia’s development projects.

Soft power is also a key pillar of Türkiye’s regional outreach. The number of Indonesian students studying in Türkiye under Turkish government scholarships has nearly doubled from 2,500 in 2019 to over 4,600 in 2023. Students also take a one-year Turkish language course, helping build long-term cultural ties. These educational exchanges are part of Türkiye’s wider diplomatic strategy to cultivate goodwill and influence in Asia.

Both countries also share political stances on global issues. In February, Prabowo and Erdoğan reaffirmed their support for a two-state solution in Gaza and discussed cooperating on reconstruction efforts, reflecting shared concerns over Middle East stability and humanitarian crises.

This bilateral relationship is a microcosm of Türkiye’s broader pivot toward Asia. As ASEAN becomes a more influential global player—contributing 7.2% of global GDP in 2024 and representing a population of nearly 700 million—Türkiye sees the region as key to diversifying its trade and revitalizing its economy. Türkiye has already signed free trade agreements with Malaysia and Singapore and is in negotiations with Indonesia and Thailand.

Türkiye-ASEAN engagement extends beyond trade, touching on education, defence, and infrastructure. In 2023, a joint Türkiye-ASEAN scholarship program was introduced, underlining Ankara’s desire to deepen ties across sectors. ASEAN member states, in turn, view Türkiye as a valuable middle-power partner—especially as they seek to reduce overreliance on superpowers like the US and China.

Still, Ankara does not intend to abandon its Western ties. Erdoğan has emphasized that Türkiye’s identity spans continents and alliances, making it uniquely positioned to engage both East and West. As regional and global powers shape the geopolitical environment, Türkiye and ASEAN countries are expected to continue expanding mutually beneficial partnerships while navigating a complex global landscape.

Indonesia and Türkiye’s growing ties are emblematic of Ankara’s strategy to broaden its influence in Asia and ASEAN’s interest in diversifying partnerships amid shifting global dynamics.

By Nazrin Sadigova