Tokayev’s Visit to Türkiye Marks New Era in Cooperation

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s official visit to Türkiye marked a significant deepening of the strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and Türkiye. Welcomed personally by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan with full honors, Tokayev’s reception underscored the strong diplomatic and personal ties between the two nations. The fifth meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council highlighted mutual respect and shared goals, with Erdoğan calling Kazakhstan Tokayev’s “second homeland.”

Türkiye remains one of Kazakhstan’s top investors, with over 4,000 Turkish companies operating in the country and investments totaling $6 billion. Bilateral trade reached nearly $5 billion last year, and both sides aim to increase it to $15 billion. Kazakhstan plans to export $1 billion worth of goods in 34 categories to Türkiye, while expanding imports of Turkish products.

Logistics and infrastructure development were key topics, especially the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route. Major projects include a logistics hub at Aktobe International Airport and a multimodal transit center in Aktau. In agriculture, Kazakhstan signed a 160 billion tenge investment deal with Tiryaki Holding for advanced wheat and legume processing. In total, 23 joint agro-industrial projects worth $1.3 billion are underway.

Energy cooperation focused on increasing oil exports via the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline and joint efforts to address electricity shortages. Tokayev invited Turkish companies to invest in mining and raw material processing under Kazakhstan’s new Tax Code.

In IT and education, both countries pledged to strengthen collaboration. Kazakhstan showcased its tech achievements, and plans were announced to open new Maarif Foundation schools and university branches. Over 12,000 Kazakh students study in Türkiye, and Kazakhstan will introduce a 90-day visa-free regime for Turkish citizens to boost tourism.

This visit reaffirmed the strategic alignment and growing economic, cultural, and technological cooperation between Astana and Ankara.

Source: Kazinform News Agency “A new level of strategic partnership: What Astana and Ankara agreed on” (published on July 30, 2025)