ASTANA
In this handout photo released by the Turkish Presidency, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, right, welcomes President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan upon Erdoğan’s arrival to attend the Organization of Turkic States summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday, May 13, 2026.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan arrived in Kazakhstan on May 13 for talks with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, as Ankara and Astana seek to deepen their strategic partnership.
Erdoğan traveled to Astana to attend the Türkiye-Kazakhstan High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council meeting and the informal summit of the Organization of Turkic States, according to Türkiye’s Communications Directorate.
The visit is expected to focus on bilateral ties as well as cooperation in energy, transport, trade and defense industry.
Erdoğan was accompanied by first lady Emine Erdoğan, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, Education Minister Yusuf Tekin, Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır and Trade Minister Ömer Bolat.
Communications Director Burhanettin Duran, AKP Deputy Chairman Kürşad Zorlu and presidential foreign policy and security adviser Akif Çağatay Kılıç were also in the delegation.
Erdoğan and Tokayev are expected to chair the sixth meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council, where the current state and future of bilateral relations will be discussed.
Transport links through the Middle Corridor, Caspian transit routes, energy security, logistics and defense industry cooperation are among the issues expected to be reviewed.
The economic agenda includes the two countries’ target of raising bilateral trade volume to $15 billion, as well as potential cooperation in energy and investment.
The leaders are also expected to attend a Türkiye-Kazakhstan business forum with representatives from both countries.
Erdoğan will later travel to Turkistan to attend the informal summit of the Organization of Turkic States on May 15. The summit will be hosted by Kazakhstan under the theme “Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development.”
The Turkish president’s plane was escorted by Kazakh fighter jets as it approached Astana, while helicopters carrying Turkish and Kazakh flags flew over the airport, the Communications Directorate said.