Türkiye, Kazakhstan sign strategic partnership deal, target $15 billion trade volume

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has hailed his recent visit to Kazakhstan as a major success, underscoring expanding strategic ties between Ankara and Astana in energy, trade, and regional cooperation.

During talks with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the two leaders signed a “Joint Declaration on Eternal Friendship and Enhanced Strategic Partnership,” reaffirming their commitment to deepen bilateral relations. Both sides agreed to work toward increasing annual trade turnover from $10 billion to $15 billion, Caliber.Az reports via Turkish media. 

Energy cooperation featured prominently in the discussions. Erdoğan welcomed Kazakhstan’s agreement with Azerbaijan on transporting Kazakh oil through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, describing the arrangement as strategically important for regional energy connectivity.

The Turkish president also noted that new agreements were signed between Turkish state energy company Türkiye Petrolleri and its Kazakh counterpart on the development of oil and gas fields. Erdoğan said he expects energy cooperation between the two countries to strengthen further in the coming years.

In addition to bilateral meetings, Erdoğan participated in the summit of the Organization of Turkic States held in the city of Turkestan. Leaders at the summit adopted the “Turkestan Declaration,” aimed at boosting digitalisation and cooperation among Turkic nations. Türkiye is set to assume the rotating chairmanship of the organisation at the next summit this autumn.

Addressing regional security issues, Erdoğan stressed the importance of stability and called for countries in the region to resolve conflicts through joint efforts without outside interference.

He also reaffirmed Türkiye’s commitment to strengthening NATO and advancing the country’s domestic defence industry, including the development of the KAAN national fighter jet programme and other defence initiatives.

On relations with the European Union, Erdoğan reiterated Ankara’s long-standing ambition for full EU membership, while criticising discriminatory attitudes toward Türkiye within the bloc.

“We sincerely want, as part of the European Union, to strengthen both our country and the Union itself,” Erdoğan said. “Türkiye represents a tremendous opportunity for the EU, and the Union must make a historic decision on how to capitalize on it.”

He argued that Europe is at a “crossroads” amid major global changes and warned that dismissive attitudes toward Türkiye could ultimately harm the EU itself.

Domestically, Erdoğan outlined several policy priorities, including combating terrorism, protecting children online, supporting families and young people, and drafting a new civilian constitution.

“A new constitution is no longer a luxury, but a need—and even a necessity,” he said, calling on all political parties to cooperate in preparing a constitutional framework that would represent all segments of Turkish society.

By Sabina Mammadli