Türkiye, Kazakhstan strengthen defence, energy partnership with fresh deals

Ankara: Türkiye and Kazakhstan signed 13 agreements spanning investment, energy, defence, education, media, and infrastructure during President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Astana.

Erdogan and his Kazakh counterpart Kassym-Jomart Tokayev oversaw on Thursday the signing of 13 agreements between Türkiye and Kazakhstan following bilateral talks and the sixth meeting of the Türkiye-Kazakhstan High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council at the Independence Palace in Astana.

Among the agreements signed was the “Declaration of Eternal Friendship and Partnership between the Republic of Türkiye and the Republic of Kazakhstan,” signed directly by Erdogan and Tokayev.

The two countries also signed an agreement on the mutual promotion and protection of investments, as well as a deal regulating the establishment, operation, and activities of cultural centres between the Turkish and Kazakh governments.

A protocol amending the agreement on legal assistance in civil matters between Türkiye and Kazakhstan was also signed.

Additional agreements included a joint scholarship programme between Türkiye’s Culture and Tourism Ministry and Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Science and Higher Education and a memorandum of intent between the Kazakh Education Ministry and Türkiye’s National Education Ministry on opening two Turkish Maarif Foundation schools in Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan’s government and TAV Holding signed an investment agreement related to Almaty International Airport, while Samruk-Kazyna and Turkish firm YDA Insaat signed a cooperation agreement on financing hospital construction projects.