Visiting 123 Indonesian Citizens Who Were Evacuated In Turkey, The Indonesian Ambassador Will Help The Issuance Of New Passports To Educational Problems

Indonesian Ambassador Lalu M. Iqbal during a discussion with Indonesian citizens who were evacuated from the location affected by the Turkish earthquake. (Source: Indonesian Embassy in Ankara)

JAKARTA - Indonesian Ambassador to Turkey Lalu Muhamad Iqbal confirmed that the Indonesian Embassy in Ankara would continue to help Indonesian citizens (WNI) affected by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that rocked Turkey on Monday this week.

In a joint lunch at the official residence of the Indonesian Ambassador Wisma Duta, where 123 Indonesian citizens were accommodated, Ambassador Iqbal listened to the stories of Indonesian citizens one by one and the problems he faced.

"I make sure to all of you, we will not stop after the evacuation. We will help our friends solve the problems that arise due to this disaster as much as possible. We want our friends to start living normal lives again soon," Ambassador Iqbal said in a statement Saturday, February 11.

It is known that a number of problems were faced by Indonesian citizens who were evacuated. The majority are logistics, because when they save themselves, they don't carry clothes, shoes and other personal items.

Some were also traumatized, diseases caused by mental pressure, lost passports, lost residence cards in Turkey, lost important documents and lost banking access.

In addition, the Indonesian citizens, most of whom are students, are also worried about the continuation of their studies.

"Starting tonight, the Consular Team will meet with Indonesian citizens one by one to map out the problems that each Indonesian citizen faces and find a solution. What is clear is that they need their hopes and direction in the future. That is what we are doing, giving them certainty that the Indonesian Embassy will continue to help, said Rahmawati, senior diplomat for the Protection of Indonesian Citizens and Consultative Affairs of the Indonesian Embassy in Ankara.

In order to help solve the problems faced, the Indonesian Embassy has and will provide several types of assistance, including issuing new passports, assisting in managing new Turkish identity cards to immigration, issuing document loss certificates to facilitate the issuance of important documents in Indonesia, assisting the issuance of local banking documents, and continuing to provide care to doctors for those who still have health complaints.

Especially for students, the Indonesian Ambassador in the near future will meet the Turkish Higher Education Council, to explore the possibility that students can continue their studies at other state universities in Turkey.