"Our priority here is, first of all, to support and strengthen our strategic relationships. How can we do this? Of course, we have to invest in trade. We should invest in more bilateral engagements," Kucukcan said during a special interview with ANTARA, here on Monday.
He believes that increasing bilateral engagements is necessary given the increasingly close and strategic relationship between the two countries, marked by mutual state visits by the two leaders this year.
"Because when these bilateral visits took place in 2025, the two leaders came together twice. This is quite unusual, quite exceptional. These were state visits," Kucukcan said.
The two leaders also met at the UN and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). And through all these meetings, they reached 18 joint agreements.
"So, this is also something that is, I think, very unique in our history, especially in recent history," Kucukcan added.
Therefore, he said, Turkey wants to focus on several areas of bilateral cooperation, especially defense, which is a top priority in the strategic relationship between the two countries.
One of the objectives of the agreements in the defense sector, said Kucukcan, is for technology transfer.
"Currently, several of our companies are collaborating. We are training Indonesian engineers in Turkey," he said.
In the field of education, Kucukcan said he had met with relevant ministers and had begun forming committees on both sides.
"For example, now the Minister of Higher Education, (Science) and Technology here, and also the Minister of Higher Education (Turkey), we call it the Higher Education Council, have formed several subcommittees to follow up on all (educational) issues," he said.
Kucukcan called this committee an important step to advance relations between the two countries in the field of education.
He added that Turkey also prioritizes increasing cooperation in the trade sector, especially to increase the trade volume between the two countries.
He said that currently, the Indonesia-Turkey trade volume has reached around US$3 billion.
Considering the size of both countries' economies, he believes the trade volume could be further increased.
"Both leaders set a target, which is $10 billion per year. Now, actually, we are working for this. One of the reasons why we don't have that trade volume, as I said, is because of the concentration of our countries," Kucukcan said.
"But at the moment now, we are engaging in a free trade agreement, which is going to open new ways of increasing our trade volume," the ambassador added.
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Reporter: Katriana
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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