Erdogan's Issue Comes Out During Prabowo's Speech At The D-8 Summit, Commission I: Their Relationship Is Very Close, You Can See It

President Erdogan. (Source: Presidency of The Republic of Turkiye)

JAKARTA - Member of Commission I of the House of Representatives Sukamta spoke about the attitude of Turkish President Reccep Tayyip Erdogan who left the room when Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto addressed the 11th Development Eight (D-8) Summit in Cairo, Egypt. He considered this to be natural, not something special.

"In international conference forums, participants enter and leave the forum are common. One of them is because usually at the same time there are parallel forums such as bilateral meetings," said Sukamta, Tuesday, December 24.

"Moreover, the relationship between President Erdogan and Prabowo, Turkey and Indonesia is not only good but also looks very close and familiar. Just look at it," he added.

The moment Erdogan left when Prabowo spoke about the importance of the unity of Muslim countries having attracted public attention. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has explained that it is commonplace when the heads of delegates hold many parallel meetings during international meetings, one of which is holding bilateral meetings with other chairmen of delegates in different rooms.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also ensured that President Prabowo had the opportunity to hold a brief meeting with all other chairmen of the delegation ahead and after the summit, including with President Erdogan. Erdogan's exit moment is believed not to be related to political issues, especially because other countries also understand that Indonesia is an active free country in international politics.

"Indonesia continues to prioritize the principle of active freedom in international relations, as regulated in Law No. 37 of 1999," said Sukamta.

At the D-8 Summit in Cairo last week, President Prabowo called for unity among Muslim-majority countries. Moreover, the Muslim population in the world is 2 billion people or about 25 percent of the world's population.

President Prabowo also emphasized the importance of close cooperation and one voice in the midst of a situation that shows the existence of internal conflicts in many Muslim countries. Sukamta supports Prabowo's strong statement because it can show Indonesia's commitment to continue to struggle for Muslim countries such as Palestine and Syria to get freedom of the occupation they are experiencing.

"Indonesia's active role in voicing justice in international forums is a strategic step that must continue to be strengthened," he said.

At the D-8 Summit, President Prabowo also voiced the importance of respecting international law and United Nations (UN) resolutions and other global issues.

"We strongly support solidarity and cooperation among Muslim countries. This attitude is in line with Indonesia's vision to fight for global justice and strengthen brotherhood between Muslim countries," explained Sukamta.

The member of the Commission in the House of Representatives, which has a scope of duties in the field of international relations and defense, also supports President Prabowo's criticism of the lack of respect for the global state for UN resolutions. Especially, said Sukamta, related to the issues of Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria.

President Prabowo's message about the importance of unity of Muslim countries is relevant in facing global challenges, including efforts to divide through the divide et impera'' strategy, explained the legislator of the Yogyakarta Special Region (DIY) electoral district.

Sukamta highlighted the prolonged conflict in Syria that has left more than 500,000 lives and millions displaced. He views that stability in Syria is not only important to the Middle East region, but also to global peace.

In terms of global political reconciliation, Sukamta also emphasized the importance of international assistance in rebuilding the basic infrastructure destroyed by the conflict. According to a World Bank report, the cost of Syrian reconstruction is estimated at USD 250 billion.

"Indonesia can establish bilateral cooperation in the fields of education, health and trade to support this process. As a country with the largest Muslim population, Indonesia has a great opportunity to strengthen relations with Syria," said Sukamta.

Furthermore, Sukamta encourages economic cooperation and technology transfer between D-8 countries as a step to increase the independence and competitiveness of Muslim countries.

"We in the DPR RI will ensure that national policies support the international commitments that have been conveyed by the President, especially in the fields of economics, technology, and humanitarian diplomacy," he said.

Through the momentum of the D-8 Summit, Sukamta hopes that Indonesia will continue to be a pioneer in fighting for justice, peace, and prosperity for Muslim countries.

"Strategic cooperation between D-8 countries is expected to bring real benefits to the people of Indonesia and the Islamic world," said Sukamta.