Indonesia and Turkey conducted defense cooperation in the form of making a medium tank, which was later named the Tiger Tank. This cooperation itself is driven by Indonesia's national interests in the defense and security sector, especially in terms of protecting the territory, and citizens based on perceived threats from within and outside the region. Therefore, Indonesia needs a qualified main weaponry system (alutsista) in maintaining stability and strengthening the country's defense to guard against threats from outside. The Minimum Essential Forces (MEF) program and the enactment of Law No. 16/2012 on the Defense Industry are forms of implementation that accelerate the modernization of Indonesia's defense equipment. Both of these were initiated by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono because of the underdevelopment of Indonesia's defense equipment, which caused Indonesia to be underestimated and Ambalat waters were acquired by Malaysia. MEF itself is Indonesia's strategic plan to achieve minimum force status by modernizing Indonesia's defense equipment by 2024. Based on the provisions of Law No. 16/2012 on the Defense Industry, every purchase of defense equipment by Indonesia must go through a compensation or technology transfer program. One of the programs aimed at increasing the capacity of the defense industry and developing Indonesia's defense equipment independence is to conduct this defense cooperation with Turkey. Defense industry cooperation between Indonesia and Turkey was agreed upon in 2010. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the time visited Ankara to sign a memorandum of understanding on defense industry cooperation between the two countries. Through this MoU, Indonesia and Turkey cooperate in several aspects of the defense industry. One of the manifestations of defense industry cooperation between Indonesia and Turkey is the development of a medium combat tank called the Tiger Tank or Kaplan MT.
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