Governor of Gagauzia praises 'warm' and 'brotherly' relations with Türkiye

By Emre Basaran

ISTANBUL (AA) - Governor of Moldova's Turkic-majority autonomous region of Gagauzia, Evghenia Gutul, praised relations with Türkiye as "not only warm but brotherly," noting that for over 30 years Türkiye has been supporting Gagauzia.

"There is a large number of joint economic, social and infrastructure projects. Indeed, the support of the fraternal people is palpable, and we feel it," she said in an interview with Anadolu.

Gutul thanked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the assistance, describing as "a huge event" his visit to the region in 2018, which entailed more joint initiatives.

"In our plans to develop these relations, I want to open a representative office of Gagauzia in Ankara, as there are a lot of our residents living in Türkiye," she said.

Gutul said an industrial college and a nursing home in the city of Ceadir-Lunga were constructed with Türkiye's support, also, Ankara provides assistance to medical establishments provided strong support to the region during the coronavirus pandemic.

"I would also like to note that Gagauz people are provided with quotas for free treatment in Türkiye, which is very important for our region since we do not have very developed medicine, and residents of the region do not have the opportunity to pay for expensive treatment," she said.

"In addition, the trade is developing. There are plans to open the Gagauzia Assistance Fund to attract more investors," she added.

"Unfortunately, the current government is preventing us from doing this. We have investors, and there are opportunities to invest in Gagauzia, but our president does not want this and prevents us in every way from implementing our projects, and these are infrastructure and social projects that are very important for Gagauzia," she said.

The establishment of the fund would open a possibility of regulating investment relations with investors, and Turkish banks would have an opportunity to check for transparency of funds, she said.

There are also many Turkish businessmen who open enterprises in Gagauzia and thereby provide the residents of the region with jobs, Gutul noted.

"We will continue to develop this, as the well-being of our region depends on it," she said.

As for the region's opportunities, it is famous for its agricultural production, grain, grapes, and wineries, which are exported internationally. It also has several national holidays that attract a lot of tourists, including from Türkiye.

- Differences with federal government

The 2023 gubernatorial election was difficult for the opposition because there was strong pressure from the authorities, Gutul said.

"There was pressure on me and my family, but we stood up. The Gagauz people chose me, who believed our deeds," she said about the election, the two rounds of which took place on April 30 and May 14.

Gagauzia's governor criticized the federal Moldovan government, alleging that it blocks investments in the region.

According to Gutul, the current government has not yet passed a decree appointing her as a member of the government, which she says is contrary to the laws.

"I have said and will say that I am ready to sit down at the negotiating table, analyze, start from scratch all our relations with Chisinau for the sake of the welfare and well-being of the residents of Gagauzia," she stressed.

- Russia-Ukraine war

Asked what impact the Russia-Ukraine war has on Gagauzia, Gutul said Moldova is a neutral country and should not be involved in the conflict.

"We are a neutral country and we should not get involved in this conflict that is currently taking place between Russia and Ukraine. We are for neutrality, we helped refugees from Ukraine and we will help," she promised.

Gutul said Moldova has to follow Türkiye's example to help all people who need help, including refugees.

The governor also noted that the federal government puts the entire country in danger with its actions.

- Protection of Turkic Gagauz language

Gutul also reminded that since 2010, Gagauz has been included in the UNESCO Atlas as an endangered language.

"We are making every effort to develop our language. I plan and want to introduce Gagauz language teaching from kindergarten, as well as provide free courses for those who want to learn the Gagauz language," she said.

The governor said its administration seeks an opportunity for every resident of Gagauzia and not only to study Gagauz but also to improve it.

"I really liked Erdogan's speech when he was in Gagauzia in 2018, the way he spoke about the Gagauz language. Indeed, this is a unique language that we must develop. We have a Scientific Center named after (Mariya) Marenevich for the development of the Gagauz language, where everyone can learn the Gagauz language.

"There is also a mini printing house where new textbooks for schools and educational institutions are published," she said.

*Elena Teslova in Moscow contributed to this story