Turkmen President arrives in Turkey

Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov, re-elected to his post in elections earlier this month with 97 percent of votes, has praised his country's ties with Turkey. Speaking to Turkish reporters at his presidential residence in Ashgabat ahead of his visit to Ankara which coincides with the anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Turkey and Turkmenistan 20 years ago, Berdimuhammedov said that he hoped his visit would accelerate the increasing cooperation between the two countries. "We are one nation with two states," Berdimuhammedov said. Touching upon a wide range of issues from political relations to economy, as well as cultural and tourism relations between the two countries, Berdimuhammedov said, "Our peoples have common roots. This is confirmed not only by historical sources, but also by the [state of] our current relations." Stating that the trade volume between Turkmenistan and Turkey increased by 25% in 2011, compared to previous year, Berdimuhammedov said, "As I have indicated before, relations between Turkmenistan and Turkey are based on mutual respect, confidence, and mutually useful relations of cooperation on equal terms. The friendly Republic of Turkey is a reliable cooperation partner to Turkmenistan. In this era, leading experts and businessmen from Turkey have made great contributions to the implementation of social and economic projects in Turkmenistan. There are currently comprehensive possibilities aimed at developing relations in other fields which offer a great future in such realms as energy, chemistry industry, transportation, communication, health, construction sector and economy." Berdimuhammedov was welcomed at Esenboga Airport yesterday by Economy Minister Zafer Caglayan, Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Melih Gokcek, as well as many other guests, including Turkmen students studying at the Police Academy in Turkey, in a ceremony which was attended by approximately 200 national artists from Turkmenistan. Berdimuhammedov will be received by President Abdullah Gul at the Cankaya Presidential Palace today. He is also expected to hold contacts with Recep Tayyip Erdogan and sign bilateral agreements. Following the official contacts, Berdimuhammedov will address deputies at the Parliament and then proceed to Istanbul tomorrow to attend the Turkish-Turkmen Business Forum.