President Erdogan Arrives in Jakarta, Shares a Ride with President Prabowo to Hotel

SEAToday.com, Jakarta - On Tuesday night (2/11), Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his wife arrived in Jakarta, where they were welcomed by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto. The two heads of state demonstrated their close relationship by sharing a car from Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base to the hotel where Erdogan and his wife were staying.

The Deputy for Protocol, Press, and Media at the Presidential Secretariat, Yusuf Permana, stated that President Prabowo’s direct presence in welcoming President Erdogan and First Lady Emine Erdogan in Jakarta on Tuesday night was a gesture of respect for the Turkish leader.

"President Prabowo has a close relationship with President Erdogan, and his direct reception at the airport is a form of his respect," Yusuf said in a written statement received in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Additionally, Yusuf revealed that President Prabowo personally escorted President Erdogan in the same vehicle to the hotel where he would be staying.

Based on a live broadcast from the Presidential Secretariat’s YouTube account, monitored in Jakarta on Tuesday, the motorcade carrying President Prabowo and President Erdogan traveled to the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Kuningan, South Jakarta.

"President Prabowo even accompanied President Erdogan in the same car all the way to his place of stay," Yusuf added.

The convoy was escorted by 17 military police motorcyclists until it arrived at the hotel where President Erdogan would be staying during his official visit to Indonesia.

President Erdogan's visit to Indonesia is part of a state visit aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between Indonesia and Turkey. The two leaders are scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting on Wednesday (2/12) at the Bogor Presidential Palace in West Java.