Erdoğan in Kazakhstan for Turkic summit, bilateral talks

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan traveled to Kazakhstan on May 13 to attend a Turkic summit and hold high-level talks in the capital Astana, diplomatic sources have said.

Erdoğan was seen off at Ankara’s Esenboğa Airport by Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz and Ankara Governor Yakup Canpolat.

At the invitation of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Erdoğan is expected to attend an informal summit of the Organization of Turkic States in the city of Turkistan as well as a meeting titled “Astana-Ankara: From brotherhood to a pragmatic Eurasian alliance” aimed at further strengthening bilateral cooperation.

Accompanying Erdoğan on the visit are first lady Emine Erdoğan, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Education Minister Yusuf Tekin, Defense Minister Yaşar Güler and Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır.

Trade Minister Ömer Bolat, ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputy leader Kürşad Zorlu, Communications Director Burhanettin Duran and Erdoğan’s chief foreign policy adviser Akif Çağatay Kılıç were also in the delegation.

Turkic nations will focus on new steps to strengthen economic ties through artificial intelligence during the summit on May 15.

Türkiye has maintained a net export position with OTS member states in recent years.

Turkish exports to Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan reached $6.2 billion in 2021, while imports from those countries totaled $4.2 billion. Exports rose to $6.9 billion in 2022, while imports reached $6.2 billion.

In 2023, Türkiye’s exports to member states climbed to $8.8 billion, while imports stood at $6.4 billion.

Exports and imports reached $10 billion and $6.5 billion, respectively, in 2024.

In 2025, Kazakhstan ranked first among OTS member states in Turkish exports with $3.2 billion, followed by Azerbaijan with $3 billion, Uzbekistan with $2.1 billion and Kyrgyzstan with $1.3 billion.

Meanwhile, Türkiye’s exports to OTS member states reached $2.1 billion in the first three months of this year.

Kazakhstan accounted for the largest share with around $700 million, followed by Azerbaijan with $663 million, Uzbekistan with $419.5 million and Kyrgyzstan with $274.7 million.

Alongside the OTS summit, a Türkiye-Kazakhstan meeting in Astana is expected to further strengthen bilateral ties.

Erdoğan is expected to co-chair a meeting of the high-level strategic cooperation council with Tokayev on May 14.

Meanwhile, a business forum between the countries will be held with Bolat in attendance alongside business leaders from the two sides to explore cooperation areas.⁠