RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia’s Minister of Culture, Fadli Zon, held a strategic dialogue with Secretary General of the Association of National Development Finance Institutions in Member Countries of the Islamic Development Bank (ADFIMI), Ilhami Öztürk, in Jakarta, Thursday, 13 February 2026. The meeting focused on expanding cooperation in Islamic cultural development and Sharia-based economic initiatives between Indonesia and Türkiye.

The discussion took place at the Ministry of Culture’s office in Senayan, Jakarta and highlighted the role of cultural diplomacy in reinforcing bilateral relations. Fadli stated that Indonesia and Türkiye share strong historical and cultural ties that can serve as a bridge for deeper collaboration.

“Close relations between Indonesia and Türkiye can become a bridge for cultural diplomacy, for example through synergy between art and film communities in both countries,” Fadli conveyed. He added that such collaboration would create spaces for cultural exchange and joint festivals showcasing the richness of each nation’s heritage.

The minister also underlined the importance of knowledge transfer between senior artists and younger generations as part of sustainable cultural development. He noted that exchange programs and collaborative initiatives could strengthen Islamic arts and creative industries in both countries.

Minister Fadli highlighted Indonesia’s commitment to promoting Islamic arts globally, citing recognition given to 10 Indonesian winners of an international calligraphy competition organized by the Istanbul Research Center for Islamic Culture and Arts (IRCICA) in 2025. He described the achievement as evidence of Indonesia’s growing presence in global Islamic cultural forums.

He further proposed collaboration in the Santri Film Festival (SANFFEST), a Ministry of Culture program designed to empower students from Islamic boarding schools through filmmaking. “In the future, we can invite Turkish filmmakers to Pesantren (Islamic Boarding School) to provide training so that films produced by students can reach international stages,” Fadli said.

The minister emphasized that strengthening cultural ecosystems requires adequate financial support and institutional synergy. He encouraged cooperation between the Indonesian government, ADFIMI, the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), and other Sharia financial institutions to enhance funding for cultural initiatives.

Meanwhile, Ilhami Öztürk expressed optimism about deeper collaboration with Indonesian Islamic banks to support cultural and economic advancement. He stated that ADFIMI is organizing multiple finance-focused events and has engaged partners in Malaysia and Indonesia to promote sustainable development across member countries.