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Negotiations between President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Negotiations took place in Ankara between the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov and the President of the Republic of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The Summit Meeting is a new important step towards the further strengthening and development of the Turkmen-Turkish relations, based on the historical commonality of the two fraternal peoples. The mutual goodwill of the parties and the existing solid potential provide ample opportunities for enriching the content of the long-term mutually beneficial cooperation, bringing it to a qualitatively new level that meets modern realities.
Before the start of the Summit Talks, the President of Turkmenistan proceeded to the Mausoleum of the founder and first President of the Republic of Türkiye Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (Anitkabir), where he took part in a flower-laying ceremony.
This majestic structure is located on the top of a hill and is made in the form of a strict rectangle with slender columns. To the Mausoleum, an alley, the so-called Lion Road, leads, and along it, there are 12 pairs of stone figures of lions on both sides. Inside the building, there is the Hall of Honour, where the tomb of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk is located. The memorial complex also includes the Ceremonial Square and Peace Park.
In a solemn ceremony, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov laid a wreath at the eternal resting place of the outstanding political and statesman of Türkiye, honouring his memory with a minute of silence.
Upon leaving the Mausoleum, a joint commemorative photograph of the Head of Turkmenistan with the participants of the ceremony took place.
President Serdar Berdimuhamedov also made a commemorative entry in the Book of Honourable Guests.
From the mausoleum of Atatürk, the Head of the Turkmen State went to the Turkmenistan Park, located in one of the picturesque modern park complexes of Ankara – Dikmen Vadisi. There is a monument to the outstanding classic of Turkmen literature, great poet and thinker of the East Magtymguly Pyragy.
At the main entrance, the distinguished guest was cordially greeted by official representatives of the Turkish party. Along the road leading to the Magtymguly Pyragy monument, Turkmen students, studying at Turkish universities, formed a “living corridor” and greeted President Serdar Berdimuhamedov with great enthusiasm.

It should be reminded that this park and the Magtymguly monument erected on its territory were solemnly opened in 2012 during the official visit of Hero-Arkadag Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to the Republic of Türkiye. The ceremony, held with the participation of the leaders of the two countries, became a significant event in the history of the Turkmen-Turkish relations and a vivid symbol of the inviolability of the ties of friendship and brotherhood, connecting our peoples.
Today, centuries later, Magtymguly’s poetic works, which glorify enduring universal human values, find understanding and response in the hearts of people living in all corners of the planet. The works of the outstanding master, translated into languages of different peoples of the world, are well known in Türkiye, where collections of his poems and research works, devoted to the brilliant poet, have been published.
Paying tribute to Magtymguly Pyragy, whose creative legacy is an invaluable national treasure and an integral part of the treasury of world culture and whose 300th birth anniversary will be widely celebrated internationally in 2024, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov laid a beautiful wreath at the foot of the monument.
Then the Head of Turkmenistan went to the Central Office of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB), where he took part in the opening ceremony of the Turkmen-Turkish Business Forum.
There, the distinguished guest was cordially welcomed by the Vice President of the Republic of Türkiye Cevdet Yilmaz, the Chairman of TOBB Rifat Hisarciklioglu and the Minister of Industry and Technology of the Republic of Türkiye Mehmet Fatih Kacir.
In the foyer of the TOBB Central Office, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, together with representatives of the friendly country, inspected an exhibition of products manufactured in Turkmenistan.
The exhibition presented a wide range of products of the textile industry: various types of clothing for children and adults, home textiles, fabrics, gift sets and others. Magnificent handmade Turkmen carpets and products of domestic entrepreneurs were also demonstrated there.
Photographs capturing the moments of the visit of the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to the TOBB Central Office in 2015 were also presented. It should be reminded that then a solemn ceremony was held there to confer upon the Hero-Arkadag the academic title “Honorary Doctor of the University of Economics and Technology,” established by this association. These photographs became a kind of excursion into the modern history of the Turkmen-Turkish cooperation.
During the conversation over a traditional cup of tea that preceded the business forum, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and representatives of the Turkish party noted with satisfaction the dynamic nature of the interstate relations, which are gaining new content from year to year.
Thanking the distinguished guest for participating in the business forum, the Chairman of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye Rifat Hisarciklioglu emphasised the Turkish partners perceived the meeting with the Head of Turkmenistan with great enthusiasm. At the same time, the valuable contribution to the development of the bilateral trade and economic cooperation of the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, the initiator of important programmes and projects creating ample opportunities for effective interaction, was also especially noted.
As it was stressed, it was a great honour for Turkish business structures to work in Turkmenistan. In this regard, sincere gratitude was expressed to President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and the Hero-Arkadag for the support provided to the activities of Turkish companies in the promising Turkmen market and, in general, to the development of the bilateral business contacts.
Then the opening of the Turkmen-Turkish Business Forum took place. Addressing the audience and once again emphasising that for him and all his colleagues the participation of the President of Turkmenistan in that business meeting was a great honour, the Chairman of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye Rifat Hisarciklioglu with deep respect gave the floor to the distinguished guest.
Warmly welcoming those gathered, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov addressed gratitude to the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges and the Organisation of Foreign Economic Relations of Türkiye for organising the Business Forum, noting the regular nature of such meetings, discussing the ways and prospects of trade and economic partnerships.
In this context, the Head of Turkmenistan spoke about the advisability of continuing constructive negotiations at that meeting, expressing confidence that a productive exchange of views would take place that day, and that would give the bilateral interaction a qualitatively new impetus and would allow considering specific issues of subsequent joint work.
Thanking the Turkish partners for their participation in the Business Forum, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov stated that among those gathered were representatives of companies fruitfully working in our country for many years.
As the Head of the Turkmen State further emphasised, over the years of independence, Turkish companies had participated in the implementation of hundreds of projects – small, medium and large.
At the same time, it should be noted that large-scale projects are currently being planned in Turkmenistan in various fields of industry, cultural and social spheres, and they require innovative engineering ideas based on high technology, solid technical experience and skills. Therefore, our country invites the Turkish business circles to work together on the above-mentioned projects, especially on the conception of Ashgabat City, which is to be built based on the principles of a modern “smart” city, and on the industrial cluster to be built in the city of Arkadag.

Turkmenistan attaches importance to building up investment partnerships with foreign countries, and here the main goal is to attract foreign capital to ongoing large energy and infrastructure projects. This in turn opens up a wide field for action for us. In this regard, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov proposed the establishment of a Joint Investment Fund and a Joint Working Group on Investments.
In addition, the Head of Turkmenistan spoke in favour of considering the issue of opening branches of a number of leading Turkish banks in Turkmenistan in order to financially regulate the activities of Turkish investors and industrialists in our country.
Energy plays a huge role in the bilateral relations. What is at issue here is exporting Turkmen energy resources, in particular, electricity and natural gas to Türkiye. Turkmenistan was guided by the principle of equal consideration of the interests of producers, transit countries and consumers and was therefore open to interaction with Turkish partners in that area, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov stressed.
One of the key and promising areas of cooperation is the transport and communications sector. Today in our country, we are carrying out the large-scale construction of new transport communications and road and railway crossings and the reconstruction of air and sea harbours. In this regard, the Head of Turkmenistan proposed establishing regular working meetings between industry departments, associations and companies of the two states.
At the same time, it seems advisable to establish a Joint Transport and Logistics Centre with the participation of relevant public sectors and private companies to intensify cooperation and well-coordinated work in this area.
Naming agriculture as one of the main sectors of the economy, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov outlined maintaining the food security of our countries and promoting international efforts in this area as the key tasks. Therefore, in Turkmenistan, significant funds are directed to the agricultural sector and agroindustrial complex, and the corresponding material and technical base is systematically improved.
In this aspect, the Head of the Turkmen State voiced a proposal to build up the Turkmen-Turkish partnership and exchange of experience in the field of increasing agricultural productivity, improving seed production and selection and introducing new technological developments into production. Turkmenistan is ready to establish mutually beneficial relations with specialised Turkish companies in the above areas.
Continuing his speech, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov emphasised the whole world was faced with the problem of climate change and other environmental threats.
In such conditions, the role of water management is consistently increasing. Our country intends to modernise water supply and distribution systems, also attaching importance to regional and international cooperation in this urgent area.
At the same time, the Head of Turkmenistan outlined among the main tasks the establishment of an effective partnership in the field of rational use of water resources and the introduction of water-saving technologies. At the same time, the reconstruction and expansion of the infrastructure of the bed and side canals of the Karakum River were noted among specific projects. In this regard, our country’s readiness to closely cooperate with specialised Turkish companies in these areas was expressed.
One of the priorities of the national economy is the development of the industrial sector and production cooperation. Turkmenistan is carrying out targeted work to establish and expand international cooperation in this field.
Speaking about this, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov stressed that in modern conditions, the role of science and technology was progressively increasing in economic development. Therefore, it is important for our states to move forward in accordance with new demands and to keep up with the times. Guided by this urgent task, the Head of Turkmenistan proposed to intensify scientific and technical cooperation, within the framework of which it was seen as necessary to establish interaction between companies of the two countries specialising in information technology. The Turkmen party is ready to work together in these areas.
Turkmenistan aims to bring trade and economic relations with Türkiye to a qualitatively new level. At the meeting, upcoming large-scale tasks and new forms of cooperation would be discussed. We would gratefully accept mutually beneficial and constructive ideas and proposals, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov said expressing confidence that our countries and, in particular, the business community would thoroughly approach the identified issues.
Also noting that the discussion of that topic could be continued within the framework of the exhibition of Turkish export goods to be held in our country on December 6–8, the Head of Turkmenistan proposed holding the next Turkmen-Turkish Business Forum in Ashgabat.
Once again thanking the Turkish partners for the high level of the organisation of the meeting and the opportunity to speak at it, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov wished the successful completion of the Business Forum and strong health, prosperity and great achievements to its participants.
The speech of the President of Turkmenistan was heard with deep attention and aroused genuine interest of all those present.

The Vice President of the Republic of Türkiye Cevdet Yilmaz, who then spoke, emphasised the participation of the Head of Turkmenistan in that day’s Business Forum would certainly give a new impetus to the development of the bilateral business contacts and would expand their range. In this regard, the great interest of Turkish business circles in participating in large-scale infrastructure projects, carried out in our country in various fields, including the energy, transport and communications, logistics sectors, in implementing the second stage of construction of the city of Arkadag and in other relevant areas was noted.
Expressing deep gratitude to President Serdar Berdimuhamedov for his meaningful speech and the invitation to Turkish partners for further joint work, Mr Cevdet Yilmaz also noted the importance of the upcoming High-Level Negotiations. Expressing confidence that the results of the meeting of heads of state in Ankara would serve to fully strengthen the traditional bilateral relations, the Vice President of Türkiye wished the President of Turkmenistan every success in his noble activity.
Next, the Minister of Industry and Technology of the Republic of Türkiye Mehmet Fatih Kacir spoke, expressing sincere gratitude to the Head of the Turkmen State for participating in the Business Forum and for his meaningful speech, in which priority vectors of the bilateral partnership were outlined and specific proposals were voiced. Türkiye attaches great importance to strengthening cooperation with brotherly Turkmenistan, which is implementing a constructive economic strategy that opens up wide opportunities for intensifying mutually beneficial ties.
In turn, the Chairman of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye Rifat Hisarciklioglu expressed deep gratitude to President Serdar Berdimuhamedov for his assistance in developing the Turkmen-Turkish cooperation and bringing it to a qualitatively new level. At the same time, the desire of the business circles of the friendly state to participate in the implementation of large-scale transformation programmes, launched in Turkmenistan, and the implementation of new joint projects was noted.
The steady interest of Turkish partners in increasing productive interaction with our country and strengthening the bilateral business contacts was also confirmed in the speech of the Board Chairman of the group of companies Calik Holding Ahmet Calik.
At the end of the opening ceremony of the Business Forum, on behalf of the Turkish party, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov again expressed heartfelt gratitude for participating in the joint business meeting, held in Ankara, and best wishes.
At the end of the meeting, the President of Turkmenistan left the venue.
On the same day, the work of the Turkmen-Turkish Business Forum continued with the participation of representatives of the relevant government and business structures of both countries. Further directions of the bilateral cooperation were substantively discussed, based on the proposals voiced by the President of Turkmenistan and taking into account the existing potential and long-term prospects.
As a result of the Forum, a number of documents were signed between Turkmen and Turkish entrepreneurs regarding cooperation in various fields, including the production of building materials, the agroindustrial complex and the food industry, the purchase of specialised equipment and others.
In the afternoon, the President of Turkmenistan proceeded to the residence of the President of the Republic of Türkiye – Aksaray Palace, where the official ceremony of welcoming the guest of honour took place. The State Flags of the two countries were raised on flagpoles in the square in front of the Palace.
Accompanied by an honorary equestrian escort, the car of the Head of the Turkmen State arrived at the Aksaray Palace. There, at the main entrance, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov was warmly and cordially greeted by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
After exchanging friendly handshakes, the leaders of the two countries proceed to a specially installed podium.
The head of the friendly state introduced the members of the official delegation of the Republic of Türkiye to the distinguished guest. President Serdar Berdimuhamedov then introduced the members of the government delegation of Turkmenistan to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
After the official ceremony of photographing against the background of the State Flags of the two countries, the Head of the Republic of Türkiye invited the distinguished guest to go to the Aksaray Palace, where the bilateral High-Level Negotiations took place in a one-on-one format.

Once again warmly welcoming President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed that visit of the Head of Turkmenistan was regarded in his country as an important event in the history of the interstate dialogue, based on long-standing good traditions and unbreakable ties of friendship and brotherhood.
Confirming Türkiye’s commitment to its full-scale and strategic partnership with our country, the Turkish leader also noted the enormous personal contribution to the successful development of the bilateral relations of the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and conveyed cordial greetings and best wishes to the Hero-Arkadag.
Thanking President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the invitation to pay an official visit to Türkiye and for the warm welcome provided, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov also expressed sincere gratitude to the Turkish leader for the great efforts he had made, which were aimed at progressively building up the friendly interstate ties.
Taking this opportunity, the Head of Turkmenistan conveyed warm words of greetings and best wishes from the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to the President of Türkiye.
President Serdar Berdimuhamedov also expressed confidence that his first official visit to Türkiye as head of state would serve to further develop the fruitful bilateral relations.
Noting that his visit was taking place on the eve of the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the Republic of Türkiye, the Head of Turkmenistan congratulated President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on that significant holiday and wished him strong health and prosperity and the Turkish people every success in the new century.
As President Serdar Berdimuhamedov further emphasised, the relations between our countries, which were successfully developing in the political and diplomatic, trade and economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres, were consistent and were systematically strengthened taking into account modern realities and the requirements of the time.
Carrying out close interaction on the world stage, Turkmenistan and Türkiye demonstrate similar or largely close positions on current regional and global issues.
The Republic of Türkiye was the first to recognise the independence of our country and contributed to its active integration into international processes and the recognition and consolidation of the positive neutrality of Turkmenistan in the world. For its part, Turkmenistan also takes an active part in the implementation by the international community of the initiatives put forward by Türkiye.
Noting that our countries were carrying out mutually beneficial and equal trade and economic cooperation, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov confirmed the readiness of the Turkmen party for its further development, in particular in such promising areas as energy, transport, investments, high technologies and other areas, for the launching of new forms of partnership and for increasing mutual trade turnover.
Stating the fruitful nature of cooperation in the humanitarian sphere, the Head of the Turkmen State stressed the common cultural heritage, spiritual and moral values, noble traditions and customs of our peoples served as a solid foundation for the intensification of diverse interaction. Turkmenistan aims to further develop these long-term contacts and to bring them to a new level, including the spheres of education, science, culture, health care and sports.
In this regard, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov once again expressed confidence that his first official visit to the Republic of Türkiye would open new perspectives in terms of assessing the current state of interstate relations and their progressive development in the future.
In continuation of the Talks, which took place in an atmosphere of mutual understanding and constructive spirit, the heads of the two states exchanged views on a wide range of issues of the Turkmen-Turkish interaction. Specifying the key vectors of cooperation at its current stage and in the context of long-term plans for the future, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed the mutual intention of Turkmenistan and Türkiye to deepen and expand the productive partnership, optimally using its impressive potential.
During the meeting, the parties also exchanged views on a number of topical issues of regional and international politics of mutual interest.
Then the gift presentation ceremony took place.
President Serdar Berdimuhamedov presented President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with a Turkmen Alabay puppy named Gardash. As the Head of Turkmenistan emphasised, fearless Alabay dogs, devoted to their masters, had been faithful friends and companions of our people, reliable protectors and helpers for many centuries. Today they are an integral part of the richest national cultural heritage.
The President of the Republic of Türkiye expressed sincere gratitude to President Serdar Berdimuhamedov for this wonderful gift, a unique symbol of commitment to the traditions of centuries-old Turkmen-Turkish friendship, and in turn presented the distinguished guest with two beautiful Turkish Kangal puppies.

The Head of the Turkmen state thanked the President of Türkiye for the gift, noting that he regarded it as a sign of the unbreakable friendly and fraternal relations between our countries.
Further, the Negotiations continued in an extended format, with the participation of members of the official delegations of the two countries.
Once again warmly welcoming President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and members of the official delegation of Turkmenistan in the Turkish land, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan highly appreciated the interstate relations, dynamically developing in all areas, both in bilateral and multilateral formats. It was stressed that great credit for that also belonged to Hero-Arkadag Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. Today, the noble endeavours of the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty find a worthy continuation in the creative domestic and foreign policy pursued by President Serdar Berdimuhamedov.
As the Head of the Republic of Türkiye noted, the Summit Talks, the agenda of which included a wide range of issues of interaction, confirmed the strategic nature of the bilateral cooperation.
Thanking President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the invitation to visit the Republic of Türkiye on an official visit, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov once again congratulated him on the upcoming national holiday of Türkiye – the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Republic, expressing his best wishes to his Turkish counterpart and the entire people of the fraternal country.
Speaking about the political and diplomatic direction of cooperation, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov noted our countries interacted constructively on the international arena, primarily within the UN and other authoritative structures – the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the Organisation of Turkic States and the Economic Cooperation Organisation.
By putting forward similar or close positions on key issues of international politics, Turkmenistan and Türkiye have gained solid experience in partnership by supporting each other’s proposals and initiatives that influence the primary objectives of global development.
Continuing the topic and highlighting the exceptional role of the United Nations, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov noted that based on that, at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, Turkmenistan had taken the initiative to develop a Global Security Strategy based on the norms and principles of the Community of Nations.
In this context, it seems important, firstly, to use anticipatory measures to prevent conflict situations, especially at the stage of their inception; secondly, to maximally use the potential of neutrality mechanisms; and thirdly, to revive a culture of dialogue based on trust. In implementing this proposal, Turkmenistan expects support from the Turkish party.
Turning to issues of trade and economic cooperation, where both countries have an enormous potential, the Head of the Turkmen State spoke about the need to significantly intensify partnerships in trade, energy, transport and communications, industrial and agricultural spheres, in the field of high technologies and industrial cooperation, business communications and contacts in other areas. In this regard, the Turkmen party is ready to intensify the interaction and to expand it with specific projects.
The Head of Turkmenistan further noted the development of energy partnership was also beneficial for both countries, for which there was the necessary legal framework. In this context, such an aspect of interaction as the supply of Turkmen natural gas and electricity to Türkiye is relevant.
In this regard, it was proposed to consider the possibility of supplying electricity to Türkiye through transit via third countries. Thus, the opportunities necessary for this will be provided by the soon launch of the construction of a new power plant with a capacity of 1,574 MW on the Turkmen coast of the Caspian Sea. We intended to implement this project together with our Turkish brothers, the President of Turkmenistan said. In a few days, a ground-breaking ceremony for this strategically important energy facility will take place near the city of Turkmenbashi.
One of the priority areas of the partnership is also the sphere of transport and logistics, where to expand cooperation, it is necessary to maximise the potential of transport routes and corridors. Here, transport corridors in the Afghanistan–Turkmenistan–Azerbaijan–Georgia–Türkiye, Central Asia–Middle East and the Caspian Sea–Black Sea directions offer great opportunities. In addition, there was an opportunity to increase the efficiency of using the infrastructure potential of the Turkmenbashi International Seaport and the Kazakhstan–Turkmenistan–Iran railway, the Head of Turkmenistan said.
Stressing that Turkmenistan intended to expand cooperation with Türkiye in various sectors of the economy, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov spoke about the advisability, along with the traditionally core areas, of building up mutually beneficial equal partnerships in investments, the gas chemical industry, the agroindustrial complex, in the field of environment protection, new generation technologies, tourism, business, and other relevant areas.
Currently, Turkmenistan envisages the implementation of a number of large projects in various areas of industry and in the cultural and social spheres. And this requires innovative high-tech engineering solutions, solid technical experience and craftsmanship.
Cooperation in the fields of culture, science, education and other areas also plays a significant role. Speaking about this, the President of Turkmenistan again emphasised the commonality of cultural heritage, spiritual and moral values, traditions and customs served as a reliable foundation for strengthening and expanding the Turkmen-Turkish relations.
Taking this opportunity, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov invited President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to pay an official visit to our country at any time convenient for him. The timing of the visit will be agreed upon through diplomatic channels.
Expressing firm confidence that the multifaceted interstate partnership would continue to expand, the Head of Turkmenistan wished strong health and every success in his activity at the highest government post to his Turkish counterpart and peace, prosperity and wellbeing to the brotherly people of Türkiye.
At the end of the extended Negotiations, a signing ceremony of bilateral documents took place in the presence of the heads of state.
The parties signed the following: the Memorandum of Understanding between the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan and the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB) on the creation of a forum of the Turkmenistan-Türkiye Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TTCCI); the Agreement on cooperation between the Government of Turkmenistan and the Government of the Republic of Türkiye on the joint production of audio and video products; the Action Plan between the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan and the Organisation for the Development and Support of Small and Medium Enterprises of the Republic of Türkiye; the Memorandum of Understanding on the development of cooperation between the Academy of Civil Service under the President of Turkmenistan and the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye Human Resources Office in the field of human resources management;
the Agreement on cooperation between the Government of Turkmenistan and the Government of the Republic of Türkiye in the field of technical regulation, standardisation, conformity assessment, accreditation and metrology; the Protocol on cooperation between the Main Archival Directorate under the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan and the Directorate of State Archives under the President of the Republic of Türkiye; the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between the State Committee of Turkmenistan on Television, Radio Broadcasting and Cinematography and the Directorate of Communications under the President of the Republic of Türkiye in the field of media; the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan and the Council of Higher Education of the Republic of Türkiye on cooperation in the field of higher education; the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between the Agency of Transport and Communications under the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan and the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure of the Republic of Türkiye in the field of research work on transport and information technologies; the Agreement on cooperation between the Government of Turkmenistan and the Government of the Republic of Türkiye on plant protection and quarantine; the Agreement on cooperation between the Government of Turkmenistan and the Government of the Republic of Türkiye in the field of culture; the Action Plan for cooperation in the field of youth policy for 2024–2026 for the implementation of the Agreement on Cooperation between the Government of Turkmenistan and the Government of the Republic of Türkiye in the field of youth and sports; and the Agreement on cooperation between the Government of Turkmenistan and the Government of the Republic of Türkiye in the field of meteorology.
At the end of the document signing ceremony, the heads of the two states addressed representatives of the media.
Commenting on the results of the Negotiations, the President of the Republic of Türkiye stressed he was very pleased to receive President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and the delegation of Turkmenistan in Ankara. In this regard, it was noted that was the first official visit of the President of Turkmenistan to Türkiye as head of state.
As President Recep Tayyip Erdogan emphasised, the bilateral relations, based on common language, history, culture, respect for mutual interests and equality, were consistently developing. During the Negotiations, various aspects of the interstate cooperation were discussed. A number of documents, relating to such areas as energy, transport, trade, environment protection, agriculture, youth and sports policy, archival affairs, education and the media, were signed.
Noting the similarity of views of the parties on the issues on the agenda of the Negotiations, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also emphasised the Turkish partners were proud that Turkmenistan had observer status in the Organisation of Turkic States.
During the Talks, significant attention was paid to trade and economic relations. A vivid confirmation of the progressive development of cooperation in this direction is the fact that Turkish companies are participating in the implementation of projects carried out in Turkmenistan. That day’s joint business forum was also intended to give a new impetus to the development of our business ties, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan noted.
Türkiye, being the first state to recognise the independence of Turkmenistan, rejoiced at its achievements in all spheres of life, which was the result of the efforts of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslakhaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, the head of the friendly state stressed.
In conclusion, the President of the Republic of Türkiye expressed sincere gratitude to the President of Turkmenistan and the members of the accompanying delegation for the constructive Negotiations that had taken place.
Speaking about the results of the Summit Meeting, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov took advantage of the pleasant opportunity on behalf of himself and on behalf of the Turkmen people to express sincere congratulations and wishes for wellbeing to the Turkish party on the occasion of the national holiday of Türkiye – the 100th anniversary of the Republic, which would be celebrated in a few days.
As President Serdar Berdimuhamedov emphasised, as part of the official visit to Türkiye at the invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the constructive Talks at the highest level had taken place, and they had been held in an atmosphere of friendship and mutual understanding. Issues of the bilateral cooperation, covering various areas, were discussed. There was also an exchange of views on current regional and international topics of mutual interest.
The readiness to further expand and strengthen the strategic Turkmen-Turkish partnership, based on the principles of mutual respect and equality, was confirmed.
During the Negotiations, the Head of Turkmenistan continued, attention had been paid to key issues of regional and international politics, in particular, to the topics of maintaining security and stability and the strengthening of the humanitarian component of international relations. In this context, the importance of intensifying joint efforts was noted.
In the context of the bilateral relations, the role of trade and economic partnership was highlighted. At the Talks, the importance of increasing the volume of trade between the two countries was noted, and views were exchanged on the opportunities available in that direction and ways to implement them.
In addition, issues of transporting Turkmen natural gas and electricity to Türkiye through the Caspian Sea were discussed.
As President Serdar Berdimuhamedov noted, the important role of deepening close cooperation in the field of transport and transit in increasing trade between the two countries had been confirmed.
In this regard, it was stressed that the activation of existing transport corridors, in particular the Trans-Caspian one and that along the Caspian Sea–Black Sea route, and the creation of new directions were of mutual benefit. An agreement on the implementation of the necessary measures to ensure constructive and efficient interaction in the field of transport was reached.
Along with this, issues of the building-up of bilateral partnerships in various industries and the participation of Turkish companies in large projects being implemented in Turkmenistan were discussed.
At the meetings, it was emphasised that the common cultural heritage and spiritual and moral values of the fraternal peoples served as a solid basis for expanding mutually beneficial and equal relations.
Based on this, readiness had been expressed to further deepen the bilateral cooperation in the fields of culture, education, science, health care and sports in order to preserve and strengthen the centuries-old ties, the Head of Turkmenistan said.
As a result of the Negotiations, important documents were signed to facilitate the progressive expansion of political, trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian dialogue and to complement the legal framework of our interstate relations.
At the end of his address to the media, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov expressed his firm confidence that the agreements reached and documents signed would give a new impetus to the further development of the diverse Turkmen-Turkish cooperation and would serve the interests and wellbeing of the fraternal states.
At the end of the press conference, the President of Turkmenistan and the President of the Republic of Türkiye took photographs against the background of the State Flags of the two countries.
In honour of the distinguished guest, the President of the Republic of Türkiye gave an official dinner.
Then President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan proceeded together to the Esenboga International Airport in Ankara, which became another vivid confirmation of the traditionally friendly and trusting nature of our interstate relations.
In the air harbour, the Heads of Turkmenistan and the Republic of Türkiye expressed complete satisfaction with the results of the Negotiations and warmly said goodbye to each other, exchanging wishes for wellbeing and prosperity to the two fraternal peoples. Then President Serdar Berdimuhamedov boarded the plane waiting for him, by which he departed for his homeland.
Upon arriving in Ashgabat, the presidential airliner landed at the International Airport of the capital, where the Head of Turkmenistan was met by officials.
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As part of the official visit of the President of Turkmenistan to Türkiye, members of the government delegation of our country held bilateral meetings with their Turkish colleagues in Ankara. The prospects of cooperation in such areas as the trade and economic sphere, the industrial sector, in particular, the textile industry, energy, construction, transport and communications, the introduction of advanced technologies and business contacts, among others, were discussed.
During the meetings, the readiness of the parties for the further development and diversification of the productive partnership was emphasised. At the same time, the important role of the activities of the Turkmen-Turkish Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation in the practical implementation of the agreements reached, the stimulation of business contacts and the building-up of the mutually beneficial ties in various sectors was noted.
In Ankara, members of the government delegation of Turkmenistan also met with our students studying at higher educational institutions in Türkiye.
The sphere of education is one of the priorities of Turkmen-Turkish cooperation and, in general, of interaction with foreign partners in the humanitarian sphere. Our youth are provided with ample opportunities to study at prestigious foreign universities and successfully master various specialities. Issues related to strengthening traditional ties in this direction are constantly put on the agenda of the bilateral negotiations at the highest level.
In response to the full concern for young people, the students assured they would make every effort to master their chosen professions in order to become highly qualified specialists and, upon completion of their studies, would successfully apply the acquired knowledge and skills in practice, making a worthy contribution to the prosperity of our beloved Motherland, increasing its international authority and to the strengthening the ties of friendship and brotherhood between the Turkmen and Turkish peoples.
During the meeting, students were presented with copies of the book Ömrümiň manysynyň dowamaty by the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. This literary and philosophical work of the Hero-Arkadag is for the people of Turkmenistan, and especially for the younger generation, a spiritual support in life and work, inspiring them to achieve new high goals in the period of the Revival of the New Era of the Powerful State.

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