By Muhammed Enes Calli
ISTANBUL (AA) — Ankara wants Turkmenistan to become a full member of the Organization of Turkic States, Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday.
"I would like to emphasize that we want to see Turkmenistan, which has become an observer member of the Organization of Turkic States, as a full member in our family assembly," Erdogan said at a press conference following a meeting with Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, chairman of the People's Council of Turkmenistan, in Türkiye's capital Ankara.
Türkiye and Turkmenistan signed cooperation agreements in 13 fields during Berdimuhamedov visit.
"What is happening in the world, especially in our region, highlights the importance of uniting under the umbrella of Organization of Turkic States," Erdogan said.
"Our companies operating in Turkmenistan have completed construction projects exceeding $50 billion to date. We hope that our cooperation in this field continues to grow," he added.
Noting that Türkiye was the first country to recognize Turkmenistan's independence, Erdogan said Ashgabat had made exemplary development progress in the short period since 1991.
"Türkiye has always been and will continue to stand by our Turkmen brothers since its independence," he said.
"Through the 13 agreements we have signed, we can see how far the strength between Türkiye and Turkmenistan has reached," Erdogan said.
Both leaders exchanged views on recent regional developments, with a particular focus on Israeli attacks on Gaza, he said.
Erdogan underlined that Turkmenistan's gas supply to Türkiye and global markets through Türkiye has gained strategic significance in its own right.
For his part, Berdimuhamedov said the two leaders discussed the delivery Turkmen natural gas and electricity to Türkiye via the Caspian Sea.