'Turkey, Indonesia should unite against Islamophobia'

ANKARA- Anadolu Agency

Turkey and Indonesia should work together to support the Muslim community against Islamophobia and discrimination, according to Turkey's foreign minister on Dec. 22. 

"We should support the [Muslim] community by working together with Indonesia and fight against these," Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu told a press conference alongside Indonesian counterpart Retno Parsudi in Jakarta.

Çavuşoğlu highlighted the increased threats of Islamophobia and discrimination against the Muslim world and said the two countries should also stand together against attempts to harm their values.

"As two important Muslim countries we must protect the mutual aims and interests of our countries and the [Muslim] community," he said.

He noted that 2020 was the 70th year of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Ankara and Jakarta, adding that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's planned Indonesia visit next year would initiate a High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council between the two countries.

Çavuşoğlu said the countries had also agreed to increase the bilateral trade volume to $10 billion from current $1.5 billion, as well as to boost investments in both nations.

Çavuşoğlu and Parsudi also inked a memorandum of understanding on diplomatic cooperation, as well as diplomat exchanges and training.