Ahmet Demirok, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Turkey to Turkmenistan
We are pleased to celebrate in Turkmenistan, which is our historical homeland, the 101st anniversary of the founding of the Turkish Republic, proclaimed on October 29, 1923. The glorious path of the Turkish people from the past to the future began in our historical homeland in Turkestan, spread to Anatolia and the Balkans, was passed on by the Seljuks to the Ottoman Empire and, being passed on, has survived to this day as the Turkish Republic.
The Turkish nation, with its ancient state traditions, has gained important experience since the founding of the Republic with its gigantic breakthroughs. Inspired by our deep history, we are proud that our Republic has stepped into the new century as a stronger state. On this occasion, we gratefully honor the memory of the founder of our Republic, Gazi Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, and his companions, as well as all our heroes who founded our Republic and enabled us to reach today’s heights of prosperity and prestige among the countries of the world. We strive for the Republic of Turkey to reach a level “above modern civilizations”.
Today, Türkiye is a modern country whose democracy and institutions are exemplary, whose economy is impressive, whose diplomacy is followed with interest, and which has firmly preserved its national unity and brotherhood. Our country has become a global brand in the fields of science, culture, art and sports, industry, trade and international relations. Our scientists, who come from rural Anatolia, win the Nobel Prize. We are proud of our world-renowned artists and athletes who break world records.
During its first century of existence, the Republic of Turkey has carried out historic reforms in all areas: from economy to trade, from security to justice, from education to health, from culture and sports to foreign policy. Our country has become a symbol of peace, stability and development in the world and its immediate region, and is entering its second century with greater dynamism thanks to its democratic traditions, deep-rooted institutions, strong economy and educated, young and dynamic population.
The Republic of Türkiye, which has a deep history and heritage that dates back to its glorious past as a democratic, secular and social state governed by the rule of law and respecting human rights, has united as a state and a nation to realize the slogan of “Türkiye Century”.
Türkiye’s relations with fraternal countries and geographical regions where our ancient culture was born are exceptional. Türkiye has the honor of being the first country to recognize the independence of Turkic-speaking states, including Turkmenistan. Turkey is also one of the first countries to support Turkmenistan’s permanent neutrality status. Our deep relations with Turkmenistan, based on common history, language, religion and culture, are growing stronger every day based on cooperation and common interests.
Turkmenistan has made a major breakthrough in development under the leadership of the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, and has become a center of stability and prosperity in the region. I am very happy to see the continued development of Turkmenistan under the leadership of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and would like to state that we will always follow this path together with our Turkmen brothers.
Mutual high-level visits, which have become more frequent in recent years, have also made a significant contribution to acquiring a strategic dimension in our relations with Turkmenistan. The official visit of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov to our country on October 25-26, 2023, was very useful in terms of further strengthening our relations and deepening bilateral cooperation. The 13 agreements signed during this visit contributed to strengthening the legal basis of relations, and the business forum provided an important opportunity for businessmen to discuss joint projects.
The visit of our Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz to Ashgabat was also very productive.
December 5-6, 2023. At the 7th meeting of the Turkish-Turkmen Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation, an Action Plan consisting of 88 points was signed aimed at strengthening our cooperation in various fields. As part of the visit, a business forum was also organized with the participation of about 150 Turkish businessmen who discussed opportunities for commercial cooperation.
In terms of contacts and visits, 2024 has worthily reflected the spirit of our relations. We were very pleased to host the National Leader, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov as a guest in Antalya on the occasion of the 3rd Anatolian Diplomatic Forum. As part of his visit, the esteemed National Leader of the Turkmen people held an extended meeting with our President and also delivered a speech at the forum. We were also pleased that during the visit, the National Leader of the Turkmen people awarded our President the title of “Honorary Elder of the People of Turkmenistan”. Important documents on cooperation in the fields of energy and transport were signed in Antalya.
On the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the birth of the famous poet and thinker of the Turkic world Magtymguly Fragi in 2024, important scientific and cultural events were organized both in our country and in Turkmenistan. We are proud that President Serdar Berdimuhamedov presented our President with the jubilee medal “Magtymguly Pyragynyň 300 ýyllygyna”.
The momentum achieved in our relations with Turkmenistan is also reflected in trade and economic cooperation. The total volume of trade in 2023 amounted to 2.6 billion dollars. In January-August 2024, the volume of bilateral trade reached 1.532 billion dollars, which is 16% more than in the same period last year. We believe that in the near future, under the leadership of our heads of state, we will achieve our common goal of five billion dollars in trade turnover.
Since Turkmenistan gained independence, Turkish companies have successfully completed more than a thousand projects in Turkmenistan. This demonstrates Turkmenistan’s trust in Turkish companies. Turkish companies have implemented important infrastructure projects in Turkmenistan that require technology, such as power plants, transmission lines, highways, residential buildings, shopping malls, universities, schools, public buildings, hotels, factories, museums, parks, hospitals and port construction. Currently, Turkish companies are implementing 19 projects worth 4.4 billion dollars. We hope to see Turkish companies in the future at the second stage of the construction of the Arkadag smart city and Ashgabat City. We are grateful to the leadership of Turkmenistan for the trust placed in our companies.
Turkmenistan is a respected member of the Turkic world family. We firmly believe that cooperation in the Turkic world will be further strengthened through Turkmenistan’s full membership in the Organization of Turkic States. We believe that Turkmenistan, which occupies a strategic position in terms of transport routes and energy resources, will make a significant contribution to the development of the Turkic world.
We continue to work on further development of existing cooperation with Turkmenistan. On this occasion, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, National Leader of the Turkmen people Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and all government structures of Turkmenistan that have contributed to the development of relations between the two countries.
We are proud of the successes and achievements of Turkmenistan and share the joy of our Turkmen brothers on the occasion of the 33rd anniversary of independence. We believe that Turkmenistan will continue its development in the coming period. The level of relations achieved with Turkmenistan encourages us to build the future together on the principle of “two states, one nation”. I hope that the friendship between the two countries will continue forever.