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ver the past few weeks and months the headlines grabbing our attention on Indonesia-Turkey relations have centered on the many Indonesians arrested and deported for trying to illegally cross over to Syria or the Turkish nationals being tried on terrorism charges in Indonesia.

While these are important issues, the nature of the bilateral relationship between Indonesia and Turkey is deeper and greater than this.

Historically, Indonesia-Turkey relations can be traced back to the 16th century, marked by friendly bonds between the Sultanate of Aceh and the Ottoman Empire. Shortly after Indonesia'€™s independence, both countries officially established diplomatic relations in 1950.

Turkey and Indonesia also share similar values in the realm of foreign policy. Both countries wish to be important players in prestigious international groupings and forums. We cooperate in forums such as the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), the G-20, the D-8, the Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea, Turkey and Australia (MIKTA) forum and Dialogue Among Civilizations.

In the economic context, cooperation has also been strong. Economic cooperation has and will continue to be the backbone of the Indonesia-Turkey bilateral relationship.

In the past five years, bilateral trade has shown an upward trend. In 2014, bilateral trade reached US$2.47 billion, a 16 percent increase compared to 2010. Indonesia enjoys a $415 million trade surplus with Turkey.

Indonesia'€™s main exports to Turkey include palm oil, textiles, rubber and paper, while Turkey exports woven fabrics, tobacco, wheat, marble, synthetic yarn and chemicals to Indonesia.

We may not realize that, in fact, there is a piece of Turkey in the homes of many Indonesians. The majority of sajadah (prayer mats) that Indonesians own are made in Turkey.

The recent global escalation of violent Islamism is undeniably a common challenge that urgently calls for a joint response ...

Another pertinent and developing sector between Indonesia and Turkey is in defense and military cooperation. After the signing of the Defense Industry Cooperation Agreement in 2010, closer cooperation in the form of the joint development of medium tanks and communication devices has been implemented. More joint cooperation mechanisms are underway.

The state visit by the President of the Republic of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to Jakarta this weekend is therefore of strategic importance. The last state visit by a Turkish president came four years ago when then president Abdullah Gül witnessed the establishment of the Indonesia-Turkey strategic partnership.

President Erdogan'€™s visit to Indonesia highlights Turkey'€™s growing recognition of the importance of East Asian and Southeast Asian countries. In recent years, Turkey has increased engagement not just with countries in the region but also engagement with the regional archictecture. Turkey has become a signatory of the ASEAN Treaty of Amity and Coperation (TAC) .

Turkey has also accredited its ambassador in Jakarta to ASEAN. In the eyes of many analysts, Turkey'€™s '€œlook east'€ approach in the search for trade and investment opportunities explains this new trend.

Against this backdrop, President Erdogan'€™s visit is an opportune moment for us to take action to further deepen and broaden Indonesia-Turkey strategic relations.

We need to embrace and realize the many opportunities in our relationship. Existing similarities and values shared by both countries are assets that must be utilized to bring about shared growth, stability and prosperity in the two countries.

In my view there are at least three aspects that we must intensify and develop in our strategic partnership with Turkey.

First, Turkey acts as a gateway to European and Middle Eastern markets. According to HSBC'€™s '€œ'€˜The World in 2050'€ Report, Turkey will be the world'€™s 12th and Europe'€™s fifth largest economy by 2050. Turkey aims to be among the world'€™s 10 largest economies by 2023. The OECD forecasts Turkey to be the second fastest growing country in the world by 2018.

In addition, Turkey also has a Free Trade Agreement with the European Union. Thus, Turkey'€™s strategic geographical location and its status as a prime business and investment hub could act as a gateway for Indonesia to penetrate European and Middle East markets.

On the flipside, Indonesia'€™s vast potential market and labor force may well be an enticing pull factor for more investment from Turkey. One staggering opportunity is that Indonesia'€™s rising consumer class could be a lucrative market for Turkish halal products and Muslim clothing.

Second is moderation in Islam. The recent global escalation of violent Islamism is undeniably a common challenge that urgently calls for a joint response, but we have yet to see any form of cooperation between Indonesia and Turkey in this realm.

Being important members of the OIC, Indonesia and Turkey can be partners and play a crucial role in the effort to promote moderation in Islam. The people and the Islamic community in Indonesia and Turkey could work together to promote the true meaning of Islam as rahmatan'€™ lil alamin (a blessing for the whole universe).

The people of the two nations can work hand in hand to send strong signals of tolerance, encourage interfaith dialogue and provide understanding in the midst of misunderstandings.

Third and finally, we must offer political support in the international forum. Expressing mutual political support is paramount.

For years, Turkey has shown its intention to become an ASEAN dialogue partner.

Indonesia can and will continue to be an ardent supporter for Turkey in the path to becoming a full ASEAN Dialogue Partner. Turkey'€™s G20 chairmanship role this year should provide a broader stage for Indonesia to embrace greater economic opportunities in the wider world.

There are plenty of opportunities to be nurtured and embraced in Indonesia-Turkey relations. A successful strategic partnership, however, should not rest solely on government to government interactions. It is time for all stakeholders in the Indonesian-Turkey relations to contribute to creating the kind of growth and stabilty that will lead the two nations to prosperity.