Kazakhstan and Turkey Strengthening Strategic Alliance During Summit in Ankara
In a significant development, Kazakhstan and Turkey held the fifth meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council in Ankara, aiming to deepen their bilateral relations across various sectors.
The meeting, which took place in late July 2025, was marked by a commitment to strengthen the Kazakh-Turkish strategic partnership. The agenda included a broad range of topics, from economic cooperation to defense discussions, media collaboration, and cultural initiatives.
Economic cooperation was a key focus, with both countries aiming to raise bilateral trade to $15 billion. Kazakhstan expressed its readiness to export at least 34 categories of products to Turkey valued at $1 billion, and increase Turkish goods imported into Kazakhstan. The Middle Corridor, a critical transport and trade route connecting Asia and Europe, was also discussed.
Defense industry modernization was another area of focus, with cooperation aimed at modernizing and expanding defense industry capabilities. The meeting also touched upon foreign policy, investment, energy, and logistics, with the aim of continuing previous agreements and exploring new ones to deepen cooperation in these sectors.
Several documents were signed to strengthen the legal and contractual foundations of bilateral relations, and both countries shared views on broader geopolitical issues affecting them.
Turkey is one of Kazakhstan's top five trading partners and among its largest foreign investors. In 2024, trade between the two countries reached nearly $5 billion, with Kazakhstan's key exports including copper, crude oil, refined petroleum products, and coal.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan visited Turkey on July 29 for high-level talks with President Recep Erdogan. The visit aims to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries, focusing on political, economic, cultural, and defense ties.
Cultural exchange is a growing aspect of the Kazakh-Turkish relationship. In the 2024-25 academic year, 300 Kazakh students received Türkiye Bursları grants, and over 12,000 Kazakh students are currently studying in Turkey, with many on Bolashak or Türkiye Bursları scholarships.
Tourism is another area of growing cooperation. In 2024, over 130,000 Turkish tourists visited Kazakhstan, making Turkey the country's third-largest source of international visitors. In 2024, more than 863,000 Kazakh citizens visited Turkey, a 4.5% increase from 2023.
To support growing trade, both sides are exploring alternative logistics routes. Turkey has committed $100 million to building logistics terminals in Kazakhstan. Turkish investment in Kazakhstan, from 2005 to 2024, amounted to $5.2 billion, while Kazakhstan's investment in Turkey reached a record high of $610 million in the first four months of 2025.
The countries maintain regular parliamentary and intergovernmental cooperation, primarily through the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States (TurkPA). Kazakhstan currently operates Consulates General in Istanbul and Antalya, and Turkey has Consulates General in Almaty, Aktau, and Turkistan.
The High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council serves as the central mechanism for high-level bilateral decisions, building upon previous accomplishments from the 2012-established council and its fourth meeting in 2022. Both countries aim to further deepen their enhanced strategic partnership across multiple sectors during this and future sessions.
President Erdogan announced that the Ankara session would include new agreements and reaffirmed Turkey's ambition to increase bilateral trade to $15 billion. The meeting in Ankara marked a significant step in strengthening the strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and Turkey.
- During the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council meeting in Ankara, the discussion of foreign policy gave insights into their collective stance on general-news issues that affect their strategic partnership.
- The agreed upon objectives in education and cultural initiatives, such as the Turkiye Bursları grants for Kazakh students, are part of the political strategies to promote mutual understanding and strengthen the Kazakh-Turkish relationship.
