On April 9, 2025, President Prabowo Subianto carried out a diplomatic visit to several Middle Eastern countries and Turkey. In this visit, President Prabowo Subianto visited the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, and Jordan, where each visit had strategic objectives to strengthen bilateral relations, particularly in the fields of defense, economy, and humanitarian affairs.
The visit to Turkey was one of the key highlights, where President Prabowo met directly with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In this meeting, the two countries agreed to increase strategic cooperation, including the possibility of Indonesia’s involvement in the development of Turkey’s fifth-generation fighter jet, KAAN, as well as the construction of a Baykar combat drone factory in Indonesia.
Defense cooperation between Turkey and Indonesia is important, especially in the development of the military industry. Indonesia is considered capable of building cooperation in the military industry with Turkey to strengthen its domestic defense. Despite the strained relations between Turkey and the West, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is seen as strong enough to help advance Indonesia’s military industry and make Indonesia a new trading partner for Turkey.
In addition, it is also important to pay attention to the follow-up of all agreements made by the Indonesian delegation in Turkey. The realization of cooperation between the two countries needs to be pursued, not only in the military industry sector, but also in education, economy, and cultural cooperation.
In Egypt and Qatar, President Prabowo encouraged the strengthening of trade relations and diplomacy, as well as discussed humanitarian efforts for Palestine. In both countries, he reaffirmed Indonesia’s commitment to the two-state solution and the importance of an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
The visit concluded in Jordan, where President Prabowo met with King Abdullah II. Discussions focused on Indonesia’s role in humanitarian initiatives for Gaza, including the possibility of sending humanitarian aid and diplomatic cooperation to support peace in the region.
The Palestine issue was one of the important topics in the discussion. President Prabowo’s role in mediating the escalation of the Gaza and Palestine conflict as a whole is considered important. The commitment given by President Prabowo to continue providing humanitarian assistance to Palestine during his visit deserves appreciation, considering that this is mandated by the constitution to continue supporting Palestinian independence.
Overall, this visit reflects Indonesia’s active efforts under President Prabowo’s leadership to position itself as an important actor in regional and global diplomacy, while expanding strategic cooperation that supports national development and international peace.
Prabowo’s trip also took place amid the heated geopolitical relations between the United States and China. The trade war between the two countries has caused not only panic in global markets but also uncertainty in global economic growth felt worldwide. The role of Prabowo and Indonesia in strengthening a new axis of middle economic powers outside the China and Europe blocs is also reinforced through the Middle East tour with meetings of D8 countries such as Turkey and Egypt.
President Prabowo Subianto’s important journey as part of the D8 Summit presidency (a meeting of emerging economic countries consisting of Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkey) is seen as a way to build and strengthen cooperation ahead of the D8 Summit to be held in Indonesia in 2026. This visit is considered a form of Indonesia’s independent strength under Prabowo Subianto’s leadership to directly negotiate with leaders of Middle Eastern and Turkish states.
