President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on May 14 pledged to make the coming period the “century of the Turkic world” during a visit to Kazakhstan aimed at deepening strategic and economic ties between the two countries.
“We agree with my esteemed brother on providing the means to strengthen our organization institutionally. God willing, we will make the coming period the century of the Turkic world,” Erdoğan said in Astana alongside Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
The two leaders chaired the sixth meeting of the high-level strategic cooperation council between Türkiye and Kazakhstan before overseeing the signing of agreements in several fields.
“Turkish-Kazakh relations continue to progress in all areas within the framework of an enhanced strategic partnership. In my meeting with my esteemed brother, we had a fruitful exchange of views on many issues, from trade to energy, from defense industry cooperation to transportation and global issues,” Erdoğan said.
“We wish to transport more oil from Kazakhstan, one of the world’s leading crude oil exporters, to world markets through our country,” he added.
During the visit, Erdoğan was awarded the Ahmet Yesevi Special State Order by Tokayev.
The leaders are expected to attend an informal summit of the Organization of Turkic States in the city of Turkistan on May 15, where Turkic nations are set to discuss new steps to strengthen economic ties through artificial intelligence.
They are also expected to participate in a meeting titled “Astana-Ankara: From brotherhood to a pragmatic Eurasian alliance,” aimed at boosting bilateral cooperation.
Accompanying Erdoğan on the trip 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 chair Kürşad Zorlu, Communications Director Burhanettin Duran and Erdoğan’s chief foreign policy adviser Akif Çağatay Kılıç are also part of the delegation.
A Türkiye-Kazakhstan business forum was also scheduled to take place during the visit, with Bolat and business representatives from both countries expected to explore new areas of cooperation.
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.
