TURKPA term presidency handed over to Turkey

President Abdullah Gul yesterday received Kazakh Parliament Speaker Nurlan Nigmetulin and his accompanying delegation at the Cankaya Presidential Palace. Afterwards, the General Assembly meeting of the Parliamentarian Assembly of Turkish Speaking Countries (TURKPA) convened in Ankara. As part of the meeting which was attended by Parliament Speaker Cemil Cicek, Kyrgyzstan's Parliament Speaker Asilbek Ceenbekov, Azeri Parliament Speaker Oktay Asadov and Kazakh Parliament Speaker Nurlan Nigmetulin, TURKPA term presidency was handed over to Turkey.  During the meeting, Cicek called on Turkmenistan, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and Uzbekistan to join TURKPA.  Cicek also requested support for Turkey's candidacy for non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council (UNSC) for the period 2015-2016 and candidacy for 2020 Olympic Games, as well as Izmir's Expo candidacy. Cicek also said that TURKPA was not only a classical parliamentarian organization, but also an assembly of friends which convenes through representatives from brother nations. Cicek added that they were not considered guests in Turkey, because it was also their country and home.