Türkiye, Kazakhstan cooperation expanding each day in array of areas: Turkish foreign minister

ISTANBUL

In the period of rapidly changing geopolitical dynamics, the importance of cooperation between Türkiye and Kazakhstan is rising every day, the Turkish foreign minister said on Monday.

"We should draw strength from the trust and understanding provided by our fraternal bond and make our relationship even more beneficial for both sides," Hakan Fidan said at a joint news conference with his Kazakh counterpart Murat Nurtleu in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana.

Fidan added that bilateral relations are becoming increasingly institutionalized and deepened.

"We are one of the largest investors in Kazakhstan with investments exceeding $5 billion in total. We are working to strengthen our cooperation in the defense industry," he said.

"Achieving the target of a $10 billion bilateral trade volume, as aimed by our respective presidents, is no longer a distant goal," the Turkish foreign minister added.

He said both sides are working to deepen cooperation in the energy sector based on common interests and a comprehensive strategy.

Reminding that the 10th summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTG) will be held in Kazakhstan in November, Fidan said Türkiye will continue to support Kazakhstan during this period.

"We have agreed to deepen our cooperation in international and regional organizations," he added.

About the fight against the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), Fidan said they have discussed steps to be taken in the fight against this "common enemy."

"We are well aware of this insidious terrorist organization and what they have done to infiltrate the Turkish state and other countries," Fidan said.

"We all need to be vigilant against the FETO terrorist organization. We are ready to provide all necessary support in this regard," he added.

‘Türkiye reliable partner in Eurasia’

Nurtleu, for his part, said expanding the scope of cooperation between Kazakhstan and Türkiye is a shared goal, and expressed his happiness at hosting Fidan in Kazakhstan.

"Although there is a great distance between Altai and Anatolia, the wishes of our fraternal peoples and their dreams are one," he said, emphasizing that Türkiye is one of Kazakhstan's important and reliable partners in Eurasia.

"Today, Ankara's role and prestige in the world are increasing. Türkiye actively assumes a role in solving global crises and regional conflicts. We appreciate Türkiye's successes in the fields of economy, education, foreign policy, and other areas.

"On this occasion, I sincerely congratulate the Republic of Türkiye on the 100th anniversary of its founding and the 500th anniversary of Turkish diplomacy, through my brother HakanFidan."

Nurtileu said Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan conducted mutual official visits, emphasizing their consensus to strengthen cooperation based on their common history, and spiritual heritage, and raising the level of strategic partnership.

"We have determined all aspects of Kazakh-Turkish interaction. We exchanged views on current regional and international developments and agreed to further develop our dialogue.

"We drew attention to expanding the scope of joint projects within the framework of the OTG," he said.

He also emphasized the importance of commercial and economic cooperation in bilateral relations.

"Turkey is Kazakhstan's fourth largest trading partner," Nurtileu said, adding that mutual trade volume reached $6.3 billion in 2022.

Nurtileu pointed out that Türkiye has made $4.7 billion in direct investments in Kazakhstan's economy to date and is among the top 10 investors in the country.

He highlighted that another important aspect of Kazakh-Turkish relations is cooperation in the defense industry.

"We have agreed to strengthen cultural and humanitarian relations between our countries and implement projects in this field. We have also discussed the opening of branches of leading Turkish universities in Kazakhstan. The number of our students studying in Türkiye has rapidly increased in recent years," he said.