Turkish foreign minister stresses strategic cooperation with Uzbekistan

By Tugba Altun and Yasin Gungor

ANKARA / ISTANBUL (AA) – Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan emphasized the importance of strengthening and institutionalizing strategic cooperation between Türkiye and Uzbekistan during a meeting with his Uzbek counterpart Bakhtiyor Saidov in Tashkent on Thursday.

Fidan highlighted the significance of bolstering ties, not only for both countries but also for the wider Turkic world. "There is a great will from our leaders to institutionalize the cooperation and take it further," Fidan said, calling for enhanced collaboration to address modern challenges.

The talks followed the third meeting of the Türkiye-Uzbekistan High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council, held in Ankara in June, which Fidan described as a "historic turning point." He said the meeting resulted in important decisions aimed at advancing bilateral relations.

Fidan is on an official visit to Uzbekistan alongside Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya and Ibrahim Kalin, head of Türkiye's National Intelligence Organization (MIT). The delegation is expected to discuss security issues and explore further opportunities for bilateral and multilateral cooperation.