Jakarta. Foreign Minister Sugiono has canceled his trip to Turkey, where he was supposed to have a Gaza-related meeting and address a diplomatic forum, following instructions by President Prabowo Subianto.

Sugiono was scheduled to attend the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, the annual conference meant for policymakers to exchange views on current global affairs, taking place on April 17-19. His itinerary included talks with some representatives from the so-called “Group of 8”. This group brings together major Muslim nations: Indonesia, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates. Jakarta, however, made last-minute changes to the plan.

“Minister Sugiono’s trip can’t take place as planned as the president has ordered him to remain in Jakarta,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Yvonne Mewengkang told reporters on Friday.

The Middle East conflict, particularly Gaza, is high up on the agenda in the Group of 8 gathering. The club has repeatedly rolled out joint statements against Tel Aviv, with the latest one “strongly condemning” Israel’s death penalty bill for Palestinians. Indonesian Ambassador to Turkey Achmad Rizal Purnama will join the upcoming meeting instead. 

“Indonesia will make sure that it will continue to play an active role in discussing the peace efforts in Palestine, as well as the latest geopolitical matters in the Middle East,” Yvonne said.

At the Antalya forum, Sugiono was meant to attend a panel session on ASEAN cooperation. Turkey is in the process of elevating its ties with the Southeast Asian bloc to that of a full “dialogue partner”.

“Our minister’s absence at the conference does not undermine Indonesia’s commitment to bolster partnership with Turkey, be it in bilateral or multilateral settings,” Yvonne said.

Indonesia-Turkey trade neared $2.3 billion throughout 2025. Jakarta’s order for 48 Turkish-made KAAN fighter jets has become a major booster to bilateral relations.

Sugiono’s trip cancellation came amidst Indonesia’s measures to cut back on overseas official travel in response to the Iran war-induced energy crunch.

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