President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was welcomed with an official ceremony at the Independence Palace in Kazakhstan, where he paid an official visit. Here, Erdogan had a one-on-one meeting with his host, President Kasım Cömert Tokayev, and then chaired the Türkiye-Kazakhstan High Level Strategic Cooperation Council Meeting with his counterpart. Erdoğan spoke briefly at the joint press conference as follows:

WE WILL CARRY OUR COOPERATION FORWARD: In our meetings with Mr. Tokayev and the delegation, we thoroughly evaluated our cooperation in areas such as trade, transportation, energy, health, mining, culture, education, technology and defense industry. We continue to encourage our business community to increase their investments in Kazakhstan and establish ties that will strengthen our partnership. We also discussed projects that will further our military and defense industry cooperation, which will expand our trade and investment relations with a multiplier effect.

TODAY’S SILK ROAD: Kazakhstan has a special place in the steps we have taken in recent years regarding resource diversity in energy. We wish to deliver more oil from Kazakhstan, one of the world’s leading crude oil exporters, to world markets through our country. The importance of the Caspian Crossing East-West common corridor, which is the modern equivalent of the Silk Road, is understood better every day. We, together with Kazakhstan and our other partners, will continue to promote this corridor not only for the shipment of goods but also for the transportation of energy resources to the West.

NEW BRIDGES: We are determined to build new bridges in our geography extending from the Eastern Mediterranean to the depths of Central Asia, with the motto of “unity in language, ideas and work”. We see it as our common responsibility to transfer the common cultural treasures of the Turkish world, the ideas, works and spiritual heritage of great figures to future generations. With the support of Mr. Tokayev, efforts were started for the Turkish Maarif Foundation to open a school in Astana and Almata.

WE FELT YOUR MORAL SUPPORT: We witnessed Kazakhstan’s bond with us as 86 million people, right after the February 6 earthquakes, which we call the disaster of the century. During that difficult period, we always felt the material and moral support of our Kazakh brothers and the Kazakhstan state. Today, I feel great pleasure in opening the primary school built in Gaziantep, Kazakhstan.

TURKISH WORLD MEETS IN TURKISTAN

The Unofficial Summit of the Council of Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States will be held in Turkestan, which is considered the spiritual capital of the Turkic world today, hosted by the Republic of Kazakhstan. At the summit, which President Erdoğan will attend, strategic topics that will shape the common future of the Turkish world will be discussed. Erdoğan expressed his satisfaction that TRNC will be represented at the summit as an observer.

STATE DECORATION FROM TOKAYEV TO ERDOĞAN

The “Hoca Ahmet Yesevi Order” was presented to Erdoğan by Tokayev. President Erdoğan said, “I would like to thank my dear brother for the Hoca Ahmet Yesevi medal. I will be happy to wear this medal as a strong symbol of the unshakable brotherhood between our countries.” Tokayev, on the other hand, noted that this award is an indication of the deep respect that all Kazakh people have for the Turkish nation and the President of Turkey, and said, “I would especially like to point out that Mr. Erdogan is the first recipient of this prestigious award.”

President Erdoğan and Kazakhstan President Kasım Cömert Tokayev visited the ‘Astana Alem AI Artificial Intelligence Center’.

OUR GOAL IS ONE, OUR DIRECTION IS CLEAR

President of Kazakhstan Tokayev said, “Turkey is one of the most important strategic partners of Kazakhstan. The bonds of brotherhood and common cultural and spiritual values ​​unite the two countries, which have been shaped over centuries. We are brother countries that support each other wholeheartedly. Our goal is one, our direction is clear. Our most important duty is to strengthen the solidarity between our peoples and increase the level of welfare.” Pointing out that Türkiye is a state with a strong political influence, a solid economy and a high international reputation, Tokayev said, “The whole world is witness to the fact that this has happened thanks to the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. There is no doubt that Türkiye’s achievements and rise to high levels are a result of the far-sighted leadership and devoted work of the President. At the same time, I believe that the basis of this is the wisdom, diligence, courage and spirit of unity of the Turkish people.”

13 AGREEMENTS WERE SIGNED

In the presence of Erdoğan and Tokayev, 13 agreements were signed between the two countries in areas such as investment, financing, culture, law, education, transportation, media, energy and defense. Among the agreements was the Agreement on the Establishment of a Joint Venture for the Production and Maintenance of ANKA Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. Additionally, the Declaration of Eternal Friendship and Partnership Between the Republic of Türkiye and the Republic of Kazakhstan was signed by Erdoğan and Tokayev.

‘ISRAEL IS TRADING THE COMMON VALUES OF HUMANITY’

PRESIDENT Recep Tayyip Erdoğan wrote an article titled “The Key to Peace in Eurasia: The Turkish World” for Kazakhstan’s Kazinform news agency. In the article, Erdoğan pointed out that regional conflicts and crises are today a challenge to common security, economic prosperity and stability on a global scale. “No meaningful progress has been made to make the global system more fair and inclusive. On the contrary, the rules-based international order has eroded further,” Erdoğan said, noting that the most obvious and painful example of this is what happened in Gaza. Erdoğan said, “Israel tramples on the common values ​​of humanity with the crimes against humanity it commits. As Turkey, we argue that global and regional crises can only be overcome by building an order based on ‘applicable rules’. We are pleased to see that our principled diplomacy, which we carry out in the name of global peace and prosperity, is evident around the world.” ANKARA

ERDOĞAN SPOKE AT THE Türkiye-KAZAKHSTAN BUSINESS FORUM:

WE ARE WALKING WITH DETERMINATION TOWARD THE TRADE TARGET OF 15 BILLION DOLLARS

PRESIDENT Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said the following at the Turkey-Kazakhstan Business Forum Closing Meeting: We now have Kazakhstan, which has the largest economy in Central Asia, with a total foreign trade volume of 145 billion dollars. Nearly 5,500 of our companies support not only prosperity but also our brotherhood, with investments reaching 6 billion dollars, from construction to finance, from tourism to informatics. Thanks to our strong partnership based on mutual trust, our trade volume approached 10 billion dollars by the end of last year. We continue our efforts to reach our target of 15 billion dollars in a sustainable and balanced way. As Türkiye, we are a country that has ensured energy supply security by ensuring resource diversity years ago. We wish to deliver more oil from Kazakhstan to world markets through our country. We continue our goal of bringing the Eurasian region to a more competitive position in the global economy.

HOCA AHMET YESEVI PRIMARY SCHOOL WAS OPENED

Erdoğan and Tokayev opened the ‘Hoca Ahmet Yesevi Primary School’, which was built by Kazakhstan in the Nurdağı district of Gaziantep after the February 6 earthquakes.

Breaking news… Police of the Financial Crimes Department, affiliated with the Istanbul Police Department; It was determined that there were irregularities in some works and transactions regarding six tenders carried out by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Road Maintenance and Infrastructure Coordination Department, European Side Road Maintenance and Repair Branch Directorate and the Information Technology Department Electronic Systems Directorate.

According to allegations; It was determined from the Expert Report that the tender officials and the companies that won some tenders for 2021 and 2023 were responsible for the irregularities in question.

In simultaneous operations carried out in Kırklareli and Trabzon, centered in Istanbul, 12 suspects were caught and detained and brought to the Istanbul Provincial Police Department.

During the operation, Head of Department Ayhan Taş, European Side Road Maintenance and Repair Branch Manager Murat Er, technician Erkan Kavlak, Erkan Koç who prepared the technical specification, Electronic Systems Manager Hakan Çakır, İbrahim Yaşaroğlu who prepared the technical specification, engineer Menderes Çakmak, Muhammet Sertaç Kazıcı who prepared the technical specification, Niyazi Baştürk, Zeynep Düşmez, İsmail Kurtuluş and İhsan Sabri who prepared the technical specification. Kurtuluş was taken into custody. It was learned that Levent Ilgın was abroad.

Istanbul police Financial Crimes Department teams started working within the scope of the investigation into the crime of extortion under the coordination of the Anatolian Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.

During the investigations, it was determined that financial benefits were requested from contractors and business followers in some constructions within the area of ​​responsibility of Üsküdar Municipality, citing violations of the project as a justification for occupation license applications. It was determined that the demands were shaped as a result of the evaluations in which senior managers participated, and the occupancy procedures of the illegal buildings were approved.

Within the scope of the investigation, it was reported that, in line with the orders and instructions of Kent Hizmetleri A.Ş. General Manager Nazım Akkoyunlu and Üsküdar Deputy Mayor Filiz Deveci, the contractors were forced to sign a contract with Kent A.Ş. under the name of “consultancy service” during the process of issuing building permits in the municipality. Action was taken upon evidence that the suspects committed the crime of “extortion” by acting as participants in the process of obtaining unfair profits through this method.

In this context, simultaneous operations were carried out at a total of 14 addresses, 13 in Istanbul and one in Muğla. While 7 suspects were caught and detained during the operations, a large number of digital materials were also seized.

Bilal Erdoğan, in his speech at the “Common Mind Meeting” program organized by the Union of International Democrats (UID) in Aleppo, said that Syria becoming a strong country and Türkiye’s brotherly neighbor country would be an achievement not only of Syria but also of the conscience of humanity. Stating that they have been working with the understanding of “What can we do for Syria” since December 8, 2025, and that this visit will enable Türkiye’s hand of friendship to reach Aleppo faster and do better things, Erdoğan said:

“Our brotherhood with Syria is unlike anything else. We are not talking about brotherhood in words, protocol or diplomacy. We truly feel at home here. We feel like we are in a town as close as if we left Istanbul to Bursa. We feel the same feeling when we leave Istanbul and go to Skopje. We feel it when we leave Istanbul and go to Sarajevo. We leave Istanbul to Konya, from Istanbul to Samarkand, Bukhara, We feel it when we go to Baku. Because we have a geography of hearts that others cannot understand. That’s why we want to know whether a world war will break out today. Where else will genocide continue? We believe that in this dark world, where the ongoing wars, the ongoing persecutions, the ongoing genocides will end, it is still possible, and that humanity will prevail with God’s grace.” Stating that the International Democratic Union is a union of people who keep the torch of hearts and the light of conversation bright, Erdoğan stated that Türkiye is one of the central countries of the world.

Emphasizing that Türkiye is one of the countries that left their mark on the 21st century, Erdogan continued as follows: “If there is to be a transfer of civilizational watch while these great power rivalries continue in the world, where Türkiye stands will play a very important role in this transformation, this important transformation. Therefore, Turkey has to work not only to strengthen itself, but also to ensure that all the members of our heartland, along with Turkey, of all brother countries that are members of this alliance of human conscience, are prosperous, stable, peaceful and strong. For this reason, the International Democratic Union is only about the Turks in the world.” It is not an organization of the diaspora. It is also the only non-governmental organization in the world that will stand by our entire heartland, encourage them, organize, support and encourage them to get better education, to be more effective in business and to rise to higher positions in the politics of the countries they live in. Therefore, the International Democratic Union has a very big mission. This mission does not only concern Türkiye. “It concerns.”

Erdoğan, who is in Kazakhstan to attend the Türkiye-Kazakhstan High Level Strategic Cooperation Council Meeting and the Unofficial Summit of the Organization of Turkic States, continues his contacts.

HE INSPECTED THE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CENTER

President Erdoğan inspected the Alem.AI Artificial Intelligence Center after the Türkiye-Kazakhstan Business Forum.

Erdoğan received information about the center from Kazakhstan President Tokayev and other officials who accompanied him, and watched the video about Türkiye projected on the screens.

During his visit, President Erdoğan was accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan, Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır, AK Party Deputy Chairman Ömer İleri, President of the Organization of Turkish States (TDT) Aksakals Council Binali Yıldırım, Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran, Presidential Foreign Policy and Security Chief Advisor Akif Çağatay Kılıç and Presidential Private Secretary Hasan Doğan.

Minister Çiftçi visited AK Party Erzurum Provincial Headquarters and met with Provincial Chairman İbrahim Küçükoğlu and members of the organization. Minister Çiftçi said that Erzurum has been one of the cities that has embraced the national will most strongly for centuries, with its heart climate kneaded with faith, the spirit of brotherhood and the love of the nation.

Stating that the AK Party, under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, is not just a political movement, but a great cause movement born from the heart of the nation, Minister Çiftçi said: “Our Erzurum organizations have always demonstrated the strongest will in our fight shoulder to shoulder with our nation against tutelage focuses, dark calculations and circles that want to set up a game on Turkey. With God’s permission, the vision of the Turkish Century rising under the leadership of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.” “In line with this, we will continue to carry our country to a stronger future in every field, without deviating from the policy of work and service.”

Minister Çiftçi said, “Each member of our organization, who works day and night, assumes a great responsibility for Türkiye to reach a stronger future. May God always preserve our unity, solidarity and belief in our cause.”