"Turkey has applied to be present at ASEAN meetings because the organisation promotes regional stability and peace, which fits our philosophy. Turkey has always wanted to have good relations with other countries, including our neighbouring nations," Turkish parliamentary delegation head Volkan Bozkir told ANTARA here on Wednesday.
"Indonesia, as a leading member of ASEAN and as home of the ASEAN Secretariat, has supported Turkey`s request," said Bozkir, who is a legislator from Turkey's Justice and Development Party.
ASEAN consists of 10 member countries: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
Among the organisation`s dialogue partners are Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and the United States.
Bozkir led a four-member delegation of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Grand Assembly of Turkey during a three-day visit to Jakarta, from September 17-20.
The delegation consisted of Saban Disli (Justice and Development Party), Osman Askin Bak (Justice and Development Party), Mehmet Ali Edipoglu (Republican People`s Party) and Sinan Ogan (Nationalist Movement Party).
During the visit, the delegation held meetings with, among others, the leadership of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) Commission I for foreign affairs, Cabinet Secretary Dipo Alam, Deputy House Speaker Anis Matta, Defence Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro, Trade Minister Gita I Wiryawan and Coordinating Minister for People`s Welfare Agung Laksono.
"This is the first visit of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Grand Assembly of Turkey to Indonesia. The visit is aimed at boosting relations between the parliaments of Turkey and Indonesia," Bozkir noted.
"During our meeting with DPR Commission I leaders, both sides agreed to appoint coordinators to promote exchange of ideas and information flow," he added.
"Turkey and Indonesia could become models for Muslim-majority countries as well as the world, because both nations have successfully come out of the economic crisis and implemented political reforms," Bozkir explained.
"The two countries are also important members of the Group of 20 (G20) and the Developing 8 (D8)," he pointed out. (*)
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Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
