UPDATE - Turkish President Erdogan welcomed by Indonesian counterpart with official ceremony

UPDATES WITH REMARKS BY TURKISH PRESIDENT; EDITS THROUGHOUT; REVISES DECK

By Zafer Fatih Beyaz, Efe Ozkan, Bugrahan Ayhan, and Seda Sevencan

BOGOR, Indonesia / ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was welcomed Wednesday in an official ceremony by his Indonesian counterpart Prabowo Subianto in the city of Bogor, where he is on an official visit.

At the start of the second leg of his three-stop Asia-Pacific tour, Erdogan's official vehicle was escorted by cavalry units at the Bogor Presidential Palace to the building's entrance, where Prabowo welcomed him.

Erdogan signed the guestbook at the palace before moving on to a one-on-one meeting with Prabowo.

Following a joint press conference, Erdogan and Prabowo proceeded to a luncheon held behind closed doors at the palace.

The Turkish leader expressed gratitude for Prabowo’s warm hospitality, noting that they had met multiple times this year to discuss bilateral relations as well as global matters of mutual interest.

"I am very pleased to see each time that Indonesia, which I last visited in November 2022 to attend a G20 leaders summit, continues to develop and grow,” Erdogan said.

- Invitation to Antalya Diplomacy Forum

Erdogan also voiced confidence in Indonesia’s economic potential, predicting that under Prabowo’s leadership, the country would rank among the world's top 10 economies within the next decade.

“We have just concluded the first meeting of our High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council. I hope to see you at the 4th Antalya Diplomacy Forum, which we will host on April 11-13,” he added, referring to an annual gathering in the Turkish coastal city of the same name.

Erdogan’s presidential entourage includes first lady Emine Erdogan, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defense Minister Yasar Guler, and Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar.

On Sunday, Erdogan embarked on a four-day Asia-Pacific tour including Malaysia, Indonesia, and Pakistan.