Ambassador Rizal Representing Foreign Minister Sugiono at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Ambassador to Turkey Achmad Rizal Purnama will represent the Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sugiono in a diplomatic forum in Turkey which will be held this weekend.

Originally, Foreign Minister Sugiono planned to make a working visit to Antalya, Turkey to participate in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF) 2026.

Spokesperson for the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Yvonne Mewengkang, said, "this follows a strategic direction from the President of the Republic of Indonesia which requires the Minister of Foreign Affairs to remain in Jakarta."

"The Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs is scheduled to speak at a panel session on ASEAN cooperation and attend a meeting with the Group of 8 (8 OIC Member States) regarding the Palestinian and Middle East issues," Yvonne explained in a written statement, Thursday (16/4) evening.

"The Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to the Republic of Turkey will represent the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia at the Group of 8 meeting which is also planned to be attended by a number of other officials of the Group of 8 member countries (on April 18)," explained Yvonne.

Although Foreign Minister Sugiono was absent, Yvonne emphasized "Indonesia will continue to ensure its active role in the continuation of discussions on the Palestinian peace process and current geopolitical issues in the Middle East."

"The absence of the Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs at ADF 2026 does not reduce Indonesia's commitment to continue to increase cooperation with Turkey both in the bilateral framework and in the framework of ASEAN cooperation," he said.

It is known that the ADF is an annual diplomatic forum organized by the Turkish Government, to become a forum for dialogue on various global and regional issues.

Yvonne said that Foreign Minister Sugiono's participation in the forum was at the invitation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey (Hakan Fidan).

The forum, which brings together various parties, ranging from the government to business actors, this year carries the theme "Mapping Tomorrow and Managing Uncertainties."