Determinants of Indonesia’s Defense Technology Cooperation with Turkey: A Decision Making Perspective

Abstract

This paper aims to describe a number of determinants of Indonesia's technology cooperation policy with Turkey. That dominant literature on Indonesia's defense relations with its traditional partners either in East Asia or in Asia Pacific while less scholars' attention to such relation beyond the regions seems to exist is a gap the paper intends to fill. The research found that Indonesia's defense ministry's role as well as political support from political parties at the parliament, state economic-military gap and the trend of emerging powers' defense self-sufficiency and self-reliance along with increased global arm trades were the significant factors which encouraged the state to agree on the cooperation ranging from joint development, production to potential sale of armaments. The research applied the decision making theory developed by William D. Coplin providing such determinants as domestic politics, state economic and military capability and international context. In addition, the research made use of the qualitative approach with a descriptive analysis. The paper argues that Indonesia has been pursuing its defense technology independence within last decade; therefore, it diversifies its defense relation beyond its traditional partners.