Türkiye is in favor of Turkmenistan’s full membership in the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Thursday.
"I would like to emphasize that we want to see Turkmenistan, which has become an observer member of the Organization of Turkic States, as a full member in our family assembly," Erdoğan said at a news conference following a meeting with Serdar Berdimuhamedow, chairman of the People's Council of Turkmenistan, in Türkiye's capital Ankara.
Türkiye and Turkmenistan signed cooperation agreements in 13 fields, including trade, education, media, and more, during Berdymukhamedov's visit.
"What is happening in the world, especially in our region, highlights the importance of uniting under the umbrella of Organization of Turkic States," Erdoğan said.
"Our companies operating in Turkmenistan have completed construction projects exceeding $50 billion to date. We hope that our cooperation in this field continues to grow," he added.
Noting that Türkiye was the first country to recognize Turkmenistan's independence, Erdoğan said Ashgabat had made exemplary development progress in the short period since 1991.
"Türkiye has always been and will continue to stand by our Turkmen brothers since its independence," he said.
"Through the 13 agreements we have signed, we can see how far the strength between Türkiye and Turkmenistan has reached," Erdoğan said.
Both leaders exchanged views on recent regional developments, with a particular focus on Israeli attacks on Gaza, he said.
Erdoğan underlined that Turkmenistan's gas supply to Türkiye and global markets through Türkiye has gained strategic significance in its own right.
For his part, Berdimuhamedow said the two leaders discussed the delivery of Turkmen natural gas and electricity to Türkiye via the Caspian Sea.
Meanwhile, both leaders gave each other puppies as presents. Berdimuhamedow gifted Erdoğan an Alabai breed (Central Asian Shepherd) dog, while Erdoğan gifted him a Kangal Shepherd dog.
Turkmenistan joined the Organization of Turkic States as an observer country in 2021.
The country is known for its permanent neutrality policy. According to its neutral status and the obligations reflected in its law on neutrality, Turkmenistan does not participate in military blocs and alliances, does not allow the creation of military bases on its territory or its use by other countries for military purposes.
On Dec. 12, 1995, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution recognizing and supporting the permanent neutrality of Turkmenistan with the support of 185 member states.
The Turkic Council was formed in 2009 to promote cooperation among Turkic-speaking states. It consisted of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey and Uzbekistan as member countries and Hungary as an observer state. During the latest meeting, the organization's name was changed to the Organization of Turkic States. Turkmenistan also participated in the summit for the first time as an observer member.
