Indonesian exporters aim to boost trade with Turkey

By Nazaruddin Latief and Umar Idris

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AA) - Indonesian young entrepreneurs opened an office for the exporter community in Istanbul to boost trade volume with Turkey, an envoy said Monday.

Indonesian Ambassador to Turkey Lalu Muhammad Iqbal told Anadolu Agency that the establishment of the Secretariat of the Indonesian Young Exporters Community (KEMI) in the city would encourage and provide more opportunities for Indonesians in Turkey to take part in enhancing economic relations between the two countries.

Iqbal noted that most community members own small and medium scale businesses so the level of contributions to the trade cannot be measured this year.

“The trade between Indonesia and Turkey is currently above $1 billion," he said.

Iqbal emphasized that the embassy will helps community members to practice market intelligence and encourage diversification of export products “so that the products produced on a large scale in Indonesia, but not made in Turkey, will start to enter Turkey’s market.”

The young entrepreneurs opened a shop Friday -- the second selling the country’s products that have opened this year in Istanbul. It sells Indonesian spices, dry food and tropical fruits called Organic Botanic.

"This shop is expected to spearhead entrepreneurship among Indonesian diaspora in Turkey," Indonesian Consul General in Istanbul, Imam As'ari, said in a news release.

Last month, Kaya Sinerji, a distribution company for Indonesian coconut charcoal briquettes, shipped the first container of its products to Istanbul.

As’ari said Turkey is not only a final destination [for export], but can also be a hub for Indonesian products to enter Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia’s markets.

In a video conference during the opening ceremony, Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno called on exporters to support the recovery of tourism and the creative economy that has been badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

Uno noted that the obstacle usually faced by business people is the lack of information on requirements, permits and standards for goods to be exported to Turkey.

"The KEMI Turkey Secretariat Office, with the support of the embassy and the consul general, is expected to be an information center for MSMEs in Indonesia who are interested in promoting their products in Turkey," he added.

*Writing by Rhany Chairunissa Rufinaldo from Anadolu Agency's Indonesian-language services in Jakarta.