Senior Indonesian official: "Gul's visit will boost our ties with Turkey"

President Abdullah Gul's visit to Indonesia next month will boost its relations with Turkey, according to a senior Indonesian official, calling for more cooperation between the two countries. Indonesian Cabinet Secretary Dipo Alam said in an interview published today that Turkey and Indonesia share many similarities and that his country's president places great importance on Turkey. Gul is set next month to pay a rare visit to Indonesia to speak with Indonesian officials and seek more cooperation on a range of issues. Alam set his sights high, saying trade between the two countries should be boosted from its current $2 billion to $10 billion. Saying that Turkey is situated at the crossroads of Europe, Africa, Russia and the Arab world, Alam added that it holds a very important geopolitical position, and that its remarkable economic progress has attracted Indonesia's interest.