Turkish Ambassador to Indonesia Sander Gürbüz has made a clarification regarding a Facebook post mistakenly claiming he was taking part in a large-scale rally against gubernatorial candidate and incumbent Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama on Friday.

The post, which spread quickly through social media after it was uploaded late on Thursday, features a photograph of the envoy and Turkey’s deputy defense minister, Suay Alpay, in a crowd in front of the Istiqlal Mosque in Central Jakarta, leading many to believe they were part of the rally held on Friday to demand the criminal prosecution of Ahok for alleged blasphemy.

Facebook user Said Anshar first uploaded the photograph with the misleading accompanying text: "A message of support for 'Aksi Bela Quran' [Rally to defend the Quran] from Mr. Erdogan conveyed by the staff of the Turkish Embassy", referring to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Gürbüz explained that Alpay, who was in town to attend the INDO DEFENSE convention, had gone sightseeing to Istiqlal, the country’s largest mosque, and the nearby National Monument (Monas) complex on Thursday. The crowd depicted in the post, he added, had asked them to take pictures together after seeing the Turkish flag on the official's car.

"His sightseeing tour has nothing to do with today's [Friday] demonstrations. It's unfortunate that some people can use it [the picture] for their own purposes," the envoy said in a message, adding that Turkey had no intention to meddle in Indonesia's domestic affairs. (hwa)

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