Turkey's defense minister, Kyrgyz president discuss bilateral ties

By Sarp Ozer

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (AA) – Ankara is keen on enhancing cooperation with Kyrgyzstan in many fields, including security and defense, Turkey’s defense minister told the Kyrgyz president in a meeting on Wednesday.

During discussions with President Sadyr Japarov in the capital Bishkek, National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar also stressed the importance of collaboration in the fight against the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup in Turkey.

Akar said the 5th meeting of the Turkey-Kyrgyzstan High Level Strategic Cooperation Council – chaired by Japarov and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara earlier this month – gave fresh impetus to bilateral relations and produced a roadmap for the future.

The Turkish minister also visited the memorial of eminent Kyrgyz writer and diplomat Chingiz Aitmatov, where met his son Eldar Aitmatov, before departing for Tajikistan.