VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesian Minister for Public Works and Housing, Basuki Hadimuljono received a visit from Indonesian Ambassador to Turkey, Lalu Muhammad Iqbal and representatives of Turkish companies at the Public Works and Housing Ministry Office in Jakarta on Monday (13/12). They discussed cooperation potential in infrastructure. The meeting was a follow-up for the bilateral meeting between Indonesia and Turkey in November 2021.

In the meeting, Minister Basuki also gave a good assessment for Turkey's success in building Ankara. This makes the Indonesian government believe that a sustainable cooperation between Indonesia and Turkey must be maintained and developed further. He also said that there are many investment potentials between Indonesia and Turkey.

Moreover, some Turkish construction companies are the best global contractors that have finished 10,725 projects in 128 countries with an investment value of US$42.5 million. Most of that investment was in housing and road, bridge, and investment construction in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Therefore, Minister Basuki encouraged Turkish investors to invest in various infrastructure sectors both from Government-to-Business Cooperation (KPBU) and Engineering Procurement Construction (EPC). He further remarked that he anticipated Turkey's participation in development programs in Indonesia. He hopes that the meeting and forum could strengthen Indonesia-Turkey bilateral relations. So, it could realize the expectations for infrastructure development in Indonesia.

In one hand, at a business forum with Indonesian state-owned enterprises and Public Works & Housing Ministry at the same day, the Public Works & Housing Ministry expressed the intention for a deeper discussion with Turkish delegates about prospective infrastructure investment and project in toll road and housing in Indonesia, as well as field visit to toll road projects in Pekanbaru.

On the other hand, Ambassador Lalu Muhammad Iqbal said that currently, there are two Turkish companies as a follow-up of the visit to Ankara. The first company focuses on toll road construction, while the second one is the world's second biggest company for prefabricated housing. The Turkish companies have communicated with the Infrastructure Funding Director General and will visit the toll road in Sumatra to support restructuring and to invite the investors.