Indonesia Responds to Turkiye's Disagreement with the Plan to Evacuate Gazans to Indonesia

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia's State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi responded to Turkiye's disagreement with President Prabowo Subianto's plan to evacuate Gaza citizens to Indonesia. According to Prasetyo, if there is a country that disagrees, it does not mean that the Indonesian government's plan cannot continue.

The Turkish and Saudi Arabian governments disagree with President Prabowo's plan to evacuate Gaza citizens who are victims of Israel's attack to Indonesia. This stance was conveyed after Prabowo's visit to Turkiye and Middle Eastern countries to seek blessings. Although Saudi Arabia was not one of the visited countries, the Saudi Arabian government rejected the plan.

"Because the spirit is that we want to help. It's not a problem that there are countries that haven't agreed. That's why the President is also not hasty in making an offer," said Prasetyo at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta, Monday, April 21, 2025.

The spokesperson for the Presidential Palace stated that technically, the evacuation is not easy, so Indonesia needs approval from other countries if this plan is to be accepted. Therefore, Prasetyo said, the Indonesian government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to coordinate with other countries so that this plan can proceed smoothly.

The Saudi Arabian and Turkish governments unanimously stated their disapproval of the relocation plan for Gaza citizens. Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan stated that his government firmly rejects all efforts to forcibly relocate Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, regardless of the pretext.

In a press conference after the Gaza Contact Group meeting held on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkiye, Prince Faisal also denounced the framing of the plan as voluntary migration. He emphasized that this terminology cannot be accepted in the current situation. "Voluntary migration cannot be accepted when the Palestinians are losing their most basic needs," said Faisal, Friday, April 11, 2025.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also emphasized his disapproval of the idea of moving Palestinians from Gaza. As quoted by Anadolu, Fidan stated that the most important thing at present is to press for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

Fidan emphasized that there is no plan to force Palestinians to leave their homeland. "We reject any plan that forces Palestinians to leave their homeland," said Hakan Fidan after the Gaza Contact Group meeting in the southern Turkish city of Antalya, with the theme "Two-State Solution and Lasting Peace in the Middle East."

Before departing for the Middle East on April 9, 2025, President Prabowo Subianto stated that he wanted to evacuate and was willing to accommodate orphaned children and conflict victims from Gaza to Indonesia. The Indonesian government, Prabowo said, is ready to fly a thousand Gaza refugees in the first wave of evacuation.

Prabowo also sought support from five countries in the Middle East, namely the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Turkiye, Egypt, Qatar, and Jordan. He emphasized that Indonesia will carry out this plan if it receives approval from all parties, including countries that are currently actively helping the Palestinian people in Gaza.

"The condition is that all parties must agree to this. Secondly, they are here only temporarily until they recover, and when they have recovered and are healthy, and when the conditions in Gaza are feasible, they must return to their original areas. That is the Indonesian Government's stance. Therefore, I have to consult with the leaders of those regions," said President Prabowo at a press conference at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base, Jakarta, before departing for Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, early Wednesday, April 9, 2025.

However, the evacuation plan has sparked controversy because it is associated with the effort to relocate Gaza citizens desired by the United States and Israel. Prabowo emphasized that the evacuation of a thousand Gaza refugees to Indonesia is not a relocation as widely discussed. He said that this evacuation is also temporary and for humanitarian purposes. "Oh no, not (relocation). To help," said Prabowo at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Turkiye, on April 11, 2025, according to his official statement on the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube channel.

Prabowo stated that the evacuation plan is an offer from the Indonesian government to help address the humanitarian issues faced by the Palestinian people. He said that the evacuation plan also must be approved by all parties. "Later, I will meet with leaders from Palestine on how the implementation will be," said Prabowo.

Dewi Rina Cahyani contributed to the writing of this article.

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