Turkmen President awarded medal of honor

Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov, currently on an official visit to Turkey, was awarded a state medal of honor by President Abdullah Gul yesterday. Speaking at a joint press conference with his Turkmen counterpart Berdimuhammedov in Ankara yesterday, Gul said Turkey and Turkmenistan are one nation with two states and that bilateral ties between the two countries would continue to develop. During the conference, Gul stated that Turkmenistan has enjoyed an important period of economic development since leaving the Soviet Union in 1991 and now become a highly regarded nation. "Turkey and Turkmenistan have good fraternal relations and we praise the developments there. The two countries are enhancing their cooperation in every field," said Gul. Berdimuhammedov was also honored with a state medal of honor by Gul. "Berdimuhammedov has provided a good example of leadership and statesmanship in his development of Turkmenistan, a country of strategic importance," Gul said. Speaking in his part, Berdimuhammedov said that the fruits of political, commercial and cultural efforts between Turkmenistan and Turkey could be seen in every field and that Turkmenistan considered Turkey a strategic partner.  Furthermore, Turkey and Turkmenistan signed seven cooperation agreements yesterday, covering a wide range of issues such as industry, fight against terrorism, mutual legal assistance, closer diplomatic cooperation and tourism. After the meeting with Gul, Berdimuhammedov met with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan at a lunch which was organized in honor of him.