Jakarta: Turkish delegation discusses counter-terrorism

By Hayati Nupus

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AA) – A top Turkish foreign service officer and security official visited a key government ministry in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta on Thursday.

Aylin Taysan, head of the Foreign Ministry’s Directorate General for Research and Security Affairs, and Lutfi Cicek, head of the Turkish National Police’s Interpol-Europol Department, visited the office of the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs.

The delegation was also accompanied by Turkish Ambassador to Indonesia Sander Gürbüz.

Wiranto, the coordinating minister for political, legal, and security affairs, said this is a return visit after he and Indonesian President Joko Widodo visited Turkey this July.

During the visit, they discussed terrorism-related issues and strategies for combating terrorist financing.

“This is a return visit to solve the terrorism issue in both Indonesia and Turkey, [where] we can share our experiences,” Wiranto told Anadolu Agency.

Wiranto said that although it shares borders with Daesh-controlled regions of Syria, Turkey has successfully cleared its immediate region of Daesh. Like Indonesia, Turkey has both soft and hard approaches for dealing with terrorism, he added.

“This is an extraordinary case. We will continue to discuss the strategy of this approach,” Wiranto said.

This visit was held prior to a meeting with the Indonesian National Counterterrorism Agency and other officials regarding terrorism-related issues.

Turkey has become a transit area for Indonesian citizens who want to cross into Syria to join Daesh.

According to Setyo Wasisto, head of the National Police’s Public Relations Division, up to October, a total of 671 Indonesians were involved in Daesh in Iraq and Syria.