ASTANA – Kazakh Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev and his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan reaffirmed their countries’ enhanced strategic partnership during the eighth meeting of the Kazakhstan–Türkiye joint strategic planning group, held on Feb. 2 in Ankara, focusing on expanding trade, investment, and coordination within the Turkic world.
Yermek Kosherbayev and Hakan Fidan. Photo credit: Kazakh Foreign Ministry.
The talks covered a wide range of bilateral and multilateral cooperation, including political dialogue, trade and economic ties, investment, transport and transit, information technology, and cultural and humanitarian cooperation.
Kosherbayev highlighted Türkiye’s role as one of Kazakhstan’s key trade and economic partners, stressing the need to intensify practical measures to expand mutual trade in high-potential sectors. Particular emphasis was placed on agricultural products, as Kazakhstan positions itself as a reliable supplier of high-quality food to Turkish consumers, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s press service reported.
Investment cooperation featured prominently in the discussions. Kosherbayev noted that Turkish investments play a significant role in Kazakhstan’s economic development, with their total volume exceeding $5 billion. At the same time, Kazakhstan’s investments in Türkiye have surpassed $2.2 billion.
Kosherbayev also outlined Kazakhstan’s ongoing efforts to improve its legislative framework to protect investors’ rights and enhance state support mechanisms. Investors currently benefit from a broad package of incentives, including tax and customs preferences, stability guarantees, subsidies and grants, and a special visa regime.
In the cultural and humanitarian spheres, special attention was given to implementing President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s instruction to assist the brotherly Turkish people in addressing the aftermath of the devastating 2023 earthquake. As part of this effort, Kazakhstan plans to complete the construction of a school in Türkiye’s Gaziantep province later this year.
The meeting also addressed cooperation on international and regional topics. Kosherbayev emphasized that Turkic integration remains a priority of Kazakhstan’s multilateral diplomacy. Kazakhstan is set to host an informal Summit of the Organization of Turkic States this year, while Türkiye will host the organization’s 13th summit. Both officials underscored the importance of these upcoming events.
The meeting concluded with the signing of a Cooperation Plan between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan and Türkiye for 2026-2027. The diplomats expressed satisfaction with the results of the talks and confidence that Kosherbayev’s visit would give new momentum to bilateral relations.
Yermek Kosherbayev met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
As part of his official visit to Ankara, Kosherbayev met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The Turkish President expressed satisfaction with the dynamic development of bilateral cooperation within the framework of the enhanced strategic partnership and emphasized the importance of deepening comprehensive engagement.
As part of his official visit to Ankara, Yermek Kosherbayev was received by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Photo credit: Kazakh Foreign Ministry.
Kosherbayev and Erdoğan discussed prospects for strengthening Kazakh-Turkish relations based on brotherhood and close friendship, noting their strong coordination within international organizations and shared positions on key global and regional topics.
