Jakarta Deputy Governor, Rano Karno, met with Ankara Mayor, Mansur Yavas yesterday, Tuesday (8/19).

The meeting held at the Ankara City Hall, Turkey, discussed opportunities for cooperation in water management and services, integrated public transportation, cultural diplomacy, youth empowerment and sports, as well as digital-based public service transformation (smart city).

"We came here (Ankara) to open the door to genuine and beneficial collaboration for the people. Jakarta wants to exchange experiences on various matters," Rano expressed, through a release received by Beritajakarta on Wednesday (8/20) evening.

He explained, this agenda is part of Jakarta's efforts to strengthen international city networks. Jakarta and Ankara share many similar challenges, from improving basic service quality, integrating transportation modes, to strengthening inclusive cultural spaces, which can be addressed through knowledge exchange and program collaboration.

"I believe that inter-city networks like Jakarta-Ankara will speed up the improvement of public services and bring a better quality of life to the community," he concluded.

Ankara Mayor, Mansur Yavas asserted, their readiness to share best practices and develop joint programs. He also expressed his interest in learning from Jakarta, especially in the rapidly developing public transportation integration.

"We (Ankara-Jakarta) are ready to share best practices in transportation, water management, service digitalization, and urban green space development. We believe our friendship will lead to sustainable and impactful joint programs. Ankara also values Jakarta's experience in rapidly growing public transportation," he explained.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian Ambassador to Turkey, Achmad Rizal Purnama, expressed full support for the meeting. Jakarta, which is preparing to enter the top 50 global cities, needs strategic partnerships with major cities around the world.

He welcomed the Jakarta Government's step to build a strategic partnership with the Ankara City Government.

"We are ready to facilitate technical follow-up, from business-to-business and government-to-government meetings to the preparation of cooperation frameworks in accordance with regulations, thus Jakarta's efforts to enter the top 50 global cities can be realized soon," he added.

As information, the discussion includes improving the reliability of drinking water supply through reducing leaks and optimizing the operations of local water companies.

Further, the development of safe, comfortable, and integrated urban transportation; the organization of joint festivals and exchanges among creative communities, students, and youth; as well as the strengthening of governance and data transparency to encourage resident participation in digital public services.

Rano and Yavas also mentioned the development of green open spaces as nodes of social interaction, public health, and climate resilience.

On that occasion, Yavas welcomed Rano's visit, which coincided with the celebration of Indonesia's 75th–Turkey diplomatic relations.

To ensure that the ideas progress into concrete programs, both parties agreed on follow-up steps including the formation of a joint working group in priority sectors, technical exchanges between agencies and field visits, and exploring the drafting of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) following the legal provisions of each country.

This mechanism is expected to serve as a corridor for measurable collaboration with clear targets, performance indicators, and implementation schedules.

During the visit to Ankara, Rano was accompanied by the Jakarta Government and representatives of the central government, including Indonesian Ambassador to Turkey, Assistant for Jakarta Economy and Finance, Head of Jakarta Culture Agency, Head of Jakarta Regional Cooperation Bureau, and Jakarta's state-owned enterprises (BUMD).

These elements emphasizes a partnership focus on the basic service sector, culture, and youth empowerment, while also ensuring readiness for technical-level implementation.