Türkiye’s Ambassador to Ashgabat, Ahmet Demirok, stated that Türkiye wishes for Turkmenistan, a highly significant member of the Turkic world family, to join the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) and the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States (TURKPA) as a full member. Speaking to AA, Demirok assessed the relations and cooperation between Türkiye and Turkmenistan. He recalled that Türkiye was the first country to recognize Turkmenistan’s independence and the first to open an embassy in Ashgabat. Demirok emphasized that Turkish institutions, businessmen, and non-governmental organizations supported their Turkmen brothers in transforming independent Turkmenistan into a modern state.
Demirok also noted that Türkiye fully supports Turkmenistan's policy of active neutrality and stressed that the relationship between the two countries, built on shared history, language, religion, and culture, continues to strengthen based on mutual respect, cooperation, and common interests.
According to Demirok, under the leadership of National Leader Arkadag Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, Turkmenistan made significant progress, and this development continues under President Serdar Berdimuhamedow. He added, “Our relations are advancing in many areas. The momentum achieved in relations with Turkmenistan is also reflected in our trade and economic ties. Türkiye remains one of Turkmenistan's largest trading partners. In 2023, the total trade volume between Türkiye and Turkmenistan was $2.6 billion. We believe this figure will significantly increase in the near future, and we will easily reach our mutual goal of $5 billion.”
Demirok also noted that high-level reciprocal visits between Türkiye and Turkmenistan have increased significantly in recent years, adding, “We continue to work on further strengthening our current cooperation with Turkmenistan.”
- "We wish for Turkmenistan to join the Organization of Turkic States as a full member."
Demirok reminded that Turkmenistan became an observer of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) in 2021, and noted: “The OTS is a family council aimed at strengthening cooperation between Turkic states. We would like Turkmenistan to join OTS and TURKPA as a full member. Turkmenistan is a very important member of the Turkic world family. We are fully confident that with Turkmenistan's full membership in the OTS in the near future, cooperation in the Turkic world will become even stronger. The Turkic world stands out as a region of prosperity and stability with its human resources, natural wealth, and social, economic, and technological potential. We are convinced that Turkmenistan, with its strategic position in Central Asia in terms of transport routes and energy resources, will make a significant contribution to this common process."
Demirok also touched on the energy cooperation between Türkiye and Turkmenistan, recalling that in March, the two countries signed a "Memorandum of Mutual Cooperation on Partnership Development in the Field of Natural Gas" and a "Declaration of Intent on Cooperation in Hydrocarbon Resources." He reminded that Türkiye’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar visited Turkmenistan in July and held talks with officials on delivering Turkmen natural gas to Turkish and European markets and on cooperation in the electricity and mining sectors. Demirok added, “In a press interview, Mr. Bayraktar stated that, in the first phase, it is planned to deliver 2 billion cubic meters of natural gas from Turkmenistan via a swap method, and in the long term, 15 billion cubic meters through a pipeline across the Caspian Sea over 20 years, with a total volume of 300 billion cubic meters. Mr. Bayraktar also mentioned that during the talks, joint gas production in Turkmenistan’s fields was discussed, and cooperation opportunities between BOTAŞ, affiliated Turkish companies, and the Turkmen side in gas storage and distribution were evaluated.”
- "Transporting Turkmen natural gas to Europe via Türkiye has been on the agenda for a long time."
Speaking about Türkiye’s role in transporting Turkmen natural gas to Europe, Demirok said, “Since Turkmenistan’s independence, several documents have been signed, and important meetings have been held between the relevant Turkish and Turkmen authorities to enhance cooperation in energy. The issue of transporting Turkmen natural gas to our country and through Türkiye to Europe has long been on the agenda. Given the current global political and economic instability, as well as the growing environmental concerns such as the green transformation, we believe this is an opportune time to transport Turkmen gas to Western markets. We believe this window of opportunity will not remain open forever, and cooperation should start as soon as possible. Thus, starting cooperation in the short term using existing infrastructure, and in the medium and long term strengthening this cooperation by addressing infrastructure shortcomings and making new investments, will benefit all parties involved in the ‘win-win’ formula."
- "Turkmenistan is a strategic hub"
Highlighting Turkmenistan’s importance in transport routes, Demirok pointed out that the country lies on the Middle Corridor, connecting China to Europe via the Caspian Sea. Demirok said the Middle Corridor begins in Türkiye, passes through Georgia, Azerbaijan, and the Caspian Sea, and continues through Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, or Kazakhstan to China. He added, “In this context, the ports of Alat in Azerbaijan, Aktau in Kazakhstan, and Turkmenbashi in Turkmenistan are used for combined transport across the Caspian Sea. Turkmenistan is a strategic hub linking East and West via the Caspian and China, as well as North and South via Russia, Kazakhstan, Iran, and Pakistan. Turkmenistan’s strategy of reviving the Great Silk Road aligns with China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Turkmenistan is developing a multifunctional and harmonized logistics system in the East-West and North-South directions. Turkmenistan aims to fully realize the potential of intercontinental transportation via rail, road, and air and establish logistics terminals at key junctions."
Source: Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye in Turkmenistan
