Turkey, Kyrgyzstan sign strategic partnership during Erdoğan visit

Turkey and Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday agreed to a “comprehensive strategic partnership” boosting defense ties during an official visit to the Central Asian state by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Agence France-Presse reported.

Ankara is strengthening its presence across the region as it seeks to compete with the likes of Russia and China for influence.

Erdoğan regularly visits Central Asia and on Wednesday will take part in a summit of the Organization of Turkic States, a Turkish-led initiative to promote its culture and ties across several former Soviet republics.

Kyrgyzstan’s President Sadyr Japarov said in a statement, “We have taken an important decision to raise the level of strategic partnership between Kyrgyzstan and Turkey to that of a ‘comprehensive strategic partnership.'”

The two sides signed 19 agreements in areas including energy, defense and the fight against terrorism.

Japarov hailed “Kyrgyz-Turkish cooperation in the field of defense and the potential for further development.”

Amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Turkey has stepped up military cooperation with Central Asian states, a challenge to Moscow’s historic supremacy in the region.

Turkey was the third-largest investor in Kyrgyzstan in the first half of 2024, behind Russia and China.

But it lags in terms of trade, accounting for 3.8 percent of Kyrgyzstan’s imports and exports, in contrast to 34.2 percent for China and 19.5 percent for Russia.