Indonesia, Turkey to Cooperate in Battle Against Extremism

Jakarta Globe, Mar 15, 2015

The ISIS logo is displayed on a wall in Grogol, Central Java. (JG Photo/Ali Lutfi)

Jakarta. Indonesia and Turkey have agreed to work closely to eradicate religious extremism, just two days after government officials confirmed that up to 32 Indonesians had been detained in Turkey or gone missing and were suspected of trying to cross into Syria to join Islamic State (IS) militants.

The two countries discussed the issue on the sidelines of the United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction on Saturday, state-run news agency Antara reported.

Vice President Jusuf Kalla, who is representing Indonesia at the summit, met with Turkish officials where they discussed security operations, the exchange of information and how to deal with refugees that were displaced by IS in Syria and Iraq.

“Radicalism must be overcome together,” Kalla told Antara.

Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said this week that 16 Indonesians, most of them women and children, had been arrested by Turkish authorities.

Sixteen other Indonesian citizens who went missing from a tour group last week had yet to be located, though Turkish authorities are yet to confirm if they were still in Turkey or had crossed into Syria.

National Police deputy chief Comr. Gen. Badrodin Haiti said the 32 Indonesians were suspected of trying to join the Islamic State.

Indonesia’s Anti-Terrorism Agency has estimated that more than 500 Indonesian jihadist have joined IS.