A new step was taken to enhance cooperation in labor and employment policies between Turkey and Indonesia. The first meeting of the Turkey-Indonesia Interministerial Joint Working Commission was held in Jakarta with the participation of Minister of Labor and Social Security Vedat Işıkhan, Indonesian Minister of Manpower Yassierli, and their accompanying delegations.
2026-2027 Action Plan enters into force
At the meeting, a protocol was signed to make the labor cooperation between the two countries more institutional and concrete. Minister Işıkhan announced that with the signed protocol, the 2026-2027 Action Plan would officially enter into force, and that under the plan, the two countries would carry out joint work in numerous areas.
Işıkhan said, "Under the Action Plan, it will be possible to carry out joint work in areas such as employment policies, labor markets, occupational health and safety, digital transformation of working life, and improving services for disadvantaged groups, as well as increasing the effectiveness of labor inspection, strengthening the national qualifications system, and vocational training and skills development."
Cooperation from employment to vocational training
The new action plan aims to increase the sharing of knowledge and experience between Turkey and Indonesia, particularly in the field of working life. Minister Işıkhan stated, "As the Ministry, I would like to particularly emphasize that we are always ready to share our knowledge and experience with our Indonesian friends on all matters within our remit. I sincerely believe that the cooperation we will develop will provide concrete contributions not only to our ministries but also to the workers, employers, and citizens of both countries."
Joint Working Commission meets for the first time
Pointing out that the first meeting of the Joint Working Commission was held, Işıkhan said the mechanism would play an important role in realizing the common goals of the two countries. Işıkhan said, "I believe that the Joint Working Commission meetings are an extremely important mechanism for strengthening cooperation between our ministries and realizing common goals. As in every field, I consider the mutual sharing of knowledge, experience, and good practices in the field of working life and employment policies to be extremely valuable."
Relations between the two countries date back four centuries
Reminding that the establishment of diplomatic relations between Turkey and Indonesia will reach its 76th anniversary in 2026, Minister Işıkhan noted that the historical ties between the two countries date back approximately four centuries. Stating that the two countries are strategic partners and leading countries of the Islamic world, Işıkhan said the relations are important not only bilaterally but also at the regional and global levels.
Reminding that Turkey and Indonesia are in close cooperation in multilateral platforms such as the ILO, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the G20, and MIKTA, Işıkhan noted that relations were elevated to the level of strategic partnership in 2011. Touching on the relations between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Işıkhan said, "We are pleased that in addition to the increasing high-level contacts in recent years, our relations in the field of working life are also developing day by day. As the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, we attach great importance to developing our relations with our counterparts in brotherly Indonesia."
Noting that one of the foundations of the two countries' cooperation in the field of labor is the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation signed in 2023, Işıkhan recalled that during his meeting with Indonesian Minister of Manpower Yassierli on October 17, 2025 in Doha, they agreed to prepare an action plan to support the said memorandum with concrete projects. Minister Işıkhan also held a bilateral meeting with Indonesian Minister for the Protection of Migrant Workers Mukhtarudin as part of the program.
