ASTANA
Turkish Parliament Speaker Cemil Cicek has said that the relations between Turkey and Kazakhstan were developing rapidly.
Addressing deputies at Kazakh Parliament on Thursday, Cicek said that Kazakhstan became a leader country in its region as well as one of the key countries for global peace and security.
Noting that commercial and economic relations between the two countries further developed, Cicek said that the economies of the two countries displayed an important resistance against global economic crisis, and they both were praised for being rare economies showing a rapid growth in the world in such period.
Cicek noted that Kazakhstan had become Turkey's most important commercial and economic partner in the region.
He said that the worth of the projects Turkish construction companies undertook in Kazakhstan exceeded 20 billion USD, adding that the worth of Turkish investments in that country reached 2.5 billion USD.
Cicek expressed pleasure over the interest of Kazakh people in the activities of Astana Yunus Emre Turkish Culture Center which was inaugurated by Turkish President Abdullah Gul during his visit to Kazakhstan in May, 2010.
The close cooperation between the two countries was very important for restoring peace and stability in Eurasian geography, said Cicek.
Turkish parliament speaker received by Kazakh president
Cicek was received by Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev in Astana.
Nazarbayev said that relations between the two countries have reached a good level in the past 20 years.
"We are two brother countries. Economic and cultural relations between Turkey and Kazakhstan are advancing. We are holding high-level talks. We frequently hold talks with President Abdullah Gul," he said.
Nazarbayev said that a Turkish Council has been established in Kazakhstan, and there were more than 20 Kazakh-Turkish schools and two universities in his country.
Cicek meets Astana governor
Cicek met with Imangali Tasmagambetov, governor of the Kazakh capital, Astana, as part of his visit in the country.
Speaking at the meeting, Cicek described Kazakhstan as "the rising star" of the region, adding "each time I visit here, I see an improved Astana."
Cicek said Kazakhstan had made a praiseworthy progress in the past 20 years under the leadership of President Nursultan Nazarbayev, adding that Turkey has tried to support the country in its development.
The Turkish parliament head also laid a wreath on the Ataturk Memorial in Astana and he met with a group of students from the Yunus Emre Culture Center.
