President Prabowo Thursday (04/10) delivers a state address before the Speaker and members of Türkiye parliament in the Plenary Room, Türkiye’s Parliament Building, Ankara. (Photo by: BPMI of Presidential Secretariat)
President Prabowo Subianto delivered his first state address to a foreign legislative body since being sworn in as President of the Republic of Indonesia.
“It is a great honor for me to stand before all of you today in this historic room, the heart of Türkiye democracy to extend warm greetings from 280 million Indonesians, your brothers and sisters of the largest Muslim population country in the world,” President Prabowo said in his speech delivered before Speaker and members of Türkiye parliament in the Plenary Room, Turkiye’s Parliament Building, Ankara, on Thursday (04/10).
In his speech, President Prabowo stated that his visit to Türkiye was not simply a state agenda, but also held a deep personal meaning. He highlighted that the relations between Indonesia and Türkiye is not only diplomatic but also rooted in a long history of solidarity.
“Türkiye holds a special place in the hearts of the Indonesian people. For the Indonesian people, Türkiye is the largest Muslim civilization. For Muslims in Indonesia, Türkiye is the successor of the Ottoman civilization,” the President said.
In the past, the President stated that the Ottoman Empire’s support for Indonesian sultans and fighters in resisting Western imperialism was massive. He added that the Indonesian people still honor the traces of Ottoman assistance, ranging from weapons to advisors.
“I visited Sumatra, I visited Aceh, I visited Deli Serdang, they remembered, they told me that their grandfathers were trained, assisted by officers, soldiers from the Ottoman Empire. To this day, the Indonesian people still share this story,” he said.
President Prabowo also praised Türkiye’s firm stance in defending oppressed nations, especially the Palestinian people. Many countries, he said, talk about democracy and human rights, but turn a blind eye to ongoing attacks.
“As children are bombed, innocent mothers are bombed, the people of Gaza lose all their lives, many countries remain silent and pretend that it is not a violation of human rights. Türkiye has a firm stance. Therefore, we want to stand with Türkiye to defend justice and truth in this uncertain world,” he said.
For this reason, President Prabowo called for closer cooperation between Indonesia and Türkiye to build a just and prosperous civilization. He expressed the belief that by working together, the voices of the countries will be heard by the rest of the world.
“Our civilization needs a struggle to achieve the right of all nations to live properly, live safely, live peacefully without oppression by anyone,” he remarked. (BPMI of Presidential Secretariat) (FI/MUR)
