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Indonesia's West Java region took center stage in Istanbul as the Pasar Senggol Türkiye Festival brought together food, traditional arts, music, dance and local products, while seeking to strengthen cultural and economic ties between Indonesia and Türkiye.
The one-day Pasar Senggol 2026 festival was held at the Eyupsultan Municipality Marriage Hall and Cultural Center, bringing together 47 participants from Indonesia and elsewhere.
First organized by the Indonesian diaspora in Türkiye in 2022, the festival has developed into an annual gathering designed to introduce different parts of Indonesia's cultural heritage rather than focusing only on the country's best-known destinations.
This year's program was held under the theme "Echoes of West Java in Türkiye: Discovering Indonesia's Artistic and Gastronomic Spirit," with organizers putting West Java's music, cuisine and traditional arts at the center of the event.
Festival organizing committee member Rausyant Dhimny said the first edition in 2022 had focused on Balinese culture before the event gradually grew to bring together Indonesian food, music, dance, art and products.
According to Dhimny, the festival has so far drawn more than 12,000 visitors.
He said organizers wanted this year's edition to show Turkish audiences that Indonesia's cultural identity extends far beyond Bali.
"Indonesia is not only Bali," Dhimny said, adding that West Java also has a rich and distinctive cultural heritage that the festival aims to introduce more widely in Türkiye.
Visitors were able to explore Indonesian cuisine and products alongside a program of traditional dance, music, fashion shows and cultural performances.
The program included Jaipong, a traditional dance associated with West Java, as well as Batak dances linked to communities from northern Sumatra. Interactive musical performances, a Band Istanbul concert and stage shows prepared by Indonesian diaspora groups were also included.
Food stalls highlighted Nusantara cuisine, a broad term used for the diverse culinary traditions found across the Indonesian archipelago.
The festival marketplace also featured products from Indonesian small and medium-sized enterprises, commonly referred to in Indonesia as UMKM, the local abbreviation for micro, small and medium enterprises.
Traditional community celebrations known as Pesta Rakyat, meaning a public or people's festival, and two interactive prize draws were also included in the program.
Indonesia's Consul General in Istanbul Darianto Harsono said Pasar Senggol had continued in Istanbul for five consecutive years and had taken on a wider role in Indonesia's cultural and economic outreach in Türkiye.
Harsono said the Indonesian diaspora was helping develop people-to-people relations while also promoting the country's economic and cultural diplomacy through the festival.
"Through Pasar Senggol, the Indonesian diaspora helps develop people-to-people relations while promoting Indonesia's economic and cultural diplomacy in Türkiye," he said.
Organizers also said they hoped the festival could help businesses establish new connections, with cultural encounters potentially opening the way for broader economic cooperation.
Dhimny said culture provided a way for people from Indonesia and Türkiye to come together, get to know each other and eventually build cultural and commercial partnerships.
The event was attended by Indonesian Ambassador to Ankara Achmad Rizal Purnama, Consul General Darianto Harsono, festival organizing committee chair Sari Rusmiati and officials from Türkiye and Indonesia.
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