Türkiye is aiming to boost trade with Kazakhstan to $15bn, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said during the fifth meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council, held in Ankara with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations, which Tokayev described as steadily developing “in the spirit of expanded strategic partnership” rooted in shared historical and cultural values.
“We are interested in continuing this path and taking our relations to a higher level,” Tokayev said, noting that more than 60 bilateral agreements are already in force, with several new ones signed during the visit.
Bilateral trade reached $5bn in 2024. Kazakhstan is prepared to supply 34 types of products worth $1bn to the Turkish market and emphasized the importance of diversifying and expanding the range of imports from Türkiye.
Transport and logistics cooperation was a key focus, with President Tokayev highlighting Kazakhstan’s strategic interest in developing the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route. He invited Turkish investment in the construction of railways, cargo terminals, land ports, and shipbuilding infrastructure.
Tokayev emphasized Kazakhstan’s openness to foreign investors and outlined recent reforms to boost investment attractiveness. He called on Turkish companies to take part in energy projects aimed at addressing electricity shortages and praised ongoing cooperation between KazMunaiGas and Turkiye Petroleum.
He also pointed to new opportunities in the mining sector under Kazakhstan’s updated Tax Code, which introduces a royalty-based incentive structure. Tokayev proposed the creation of a joint investment fund to support Turkish involvement in natural resource development and deep processing.
Agriculture remains a promising area of cooperation. Türkiye imports a quarter of Kazakhstan’s grain, a third of its cotton, and 26% of its grain gluten. Currently, 23 joint agricultural projects worth $1.3bn are underway, with 18 already operational and supplying goods to international markets.
Educational ties are set to deepen with the opening of two Turkish Maarif Foundation schools in Astana and Almaty and upcoming branches of top Turkish universities in Kazakhstan. Tokayev also announced that Kazakhstan is building a new school in Türkiye’s Gaziantep Province, which was hit by an earthquake in 2024. The school is expected to open in 2026.
To support tourism and facilitate travel, Kazakhstan introduced a 90-day visa-free regime for Turkish citizens.
President Erdogan welcomed President Tokayev and the Kazakh delegation warmly, referring to Kazakhstan as “your second homeland” and congratulating the country on the 180th anniversary of national poet Abay Kunanbayuly.
“Kazakhstan is one of our largest trading partners. We attach great importance to cooperation in trade, defense industry, agriculture, tourism and culture,” Erdogan said.
The meeting concluded with the signing of a Joint Declaration and the formal decision of the fifth High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council. In total, 18 intergovernmental and interdepartmental agreements were signed during Tokayev’s official visit to Ankara.
Kazakhstan was represented by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin and Minister of Transport Nurlan Sauranbayev, while Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan spoke on behalf of the Turkish side.
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