ASTANA, Thursday, May 14, 2026 (WNP): President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Thursday highlighted growing economic, energy, defence and trade cooperation between Türkiye and Kazakhstan while addressing the closing session of the Türkiye-Kazakhstan Business Forum in Astana.

President Erdoğan said Kazakhstan had emerged as the largest economy in Central Asia, recording 6.5 percent GDP growth in 2025 with foreign trade volume exceeding $145 billion.

He noted that Kazakhstan had become Türkiye’s largest trading partner in the Turkic world, with bilateral trade approaching $10 billion last year.

He said more than 750 Kazakh companies were operating in Türkiye with investments nearing $2 billion, while both countries were striving to achieve a bilateral trade target of $15 billion in a sustainable and balanced manner.

Referring to regional and global challenges, including conflicts, energy security concerns, artificial intelligence transformation and supply chain disruptions, Erdoğan stressed the need for stronger cooperation among regional countries.

He said Türkiye and Kazakhstan had discussed opportunities in hydrocarbon production, transportation and critical minerals exploration, adding that Ankara sought to transport larger volumes of Kazakh oil to global markets through Türkiye.

Highlighting defence cooperation, Erdoğan said the two countries enjoyed strong strategic relations rooted in historical ties.

He also emphasized efforts to revive the Caspian-transiting Middle Corridor by integrating railway networks, port infrastructure and digital customs systems to strengthen Eurasian connectivity and competitiveness in the global economy.