04 July 2017•Update: 04 July 2017
By Adem Salvarcioglu
JAKARTA
President Joko Widodo will pay an official visit to Turkey on Thursday, marking the first visit by Indonesia's head-of-state in seven years, the Turkish ambassador to Jakarta said Tuesday.
"The visit will play a key role in developing bilateral relations," Mehmet Kadri Sander Gurbuz told Anadolu Agency.
Noting that Turkish-Indonesian relations dated back to the 16th century, Gurbuz said political ties between the countries had been "extremely positive" since Indonesia declared independence in 1945.
The ambassador added that the visit was also expected to see negotiations on a free trade agreement between Turkey and Indonesia.
"I am sure these negotiations will contribute to the acceleration of our economic relations," he said.
International issues are also expected to be on the agenda. Both countries are members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the G20, the D-8 and MIKTA.
