The Turkish government has decided to remove the visa requirements for Indonesian citizens who want to travel to the country.
“In view of the fraternal relations that have been established throughout the centuries and the history between the people of Turkey and Indonesia, as well as the strategic partnership between the two countries, Turkey has decided to revoke the visa requirements for Indonesian citizens traveling to Turkey,” said a press statement from the Turkish embassy in Jakarta.
The decision to remove the need for visas for Indonesian citizens is based on Turkish Presidential decree no. 4930 published on 22nd December 2021 in the State Gazette of the Republic of Turkey.
This means that ordinary Indonesian passport holders are exempted from visa requirements for their travel to Turkey for tourist and transit purposes for stays of up to 30 days.
“We believe that this friendly step taken by Turkey will enhance the brotherly ties that exist between the two countries and will help promote people-to-people contacts, as well as business relations,” the Turkish embassy wrote.
However, the exact date of the start of the visa-free travel policy for Indonesian citizens to Turkey is stated to be still under further discussion by the Turkish government.
Previously, Indonesian citizens who wanted to travel or had other reasons to travel to Turkey still had to apply for a visa and pay a fee.
With this visa-free policy, it is possible for more Indonesian citizens to travel, do business, or study in a country famous for the Hagia Sophia which was conquered by Sultan Mehmed II.