In Ankara, Nazarbayev meets with President Gul, PM Erdogan

Turkey was the first country to recognize Kazakhstan's independence, and relations between the two countries have been good ever since, said Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev yesterday. At a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul in Ankara, Nazarbayev pointed to strengthening economic and cultural relations, saying that 1,500 Turkish companies are operating in Kazakhstan's agriculture, construction, and oil and gas sectors. Touching on US President Barack Obama's visit to Turkey earlier this year, Turkey's mediation role between Syria and Iraq, and Ankara's efforts on the Palestine issue, Nazarbayev said that Turkey plays a very important role in the region. Nazarbayev said that Turkey is eager to become a transit country for getting Caspian gas to Europe and that the flow of Kazakh oil and gas via Turkey will benefit both countries. Gul later hosted a dinner in Nazarbayev's honor and presented a state medal to him for his contributions to both Kazakhstan and the Turkic world. Nazarbayev also met with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.