The top diplomats of Türkiye and Kyrgyzstan came together in the Central Asian country's capital, Bishkek, on Tuesday as Ankara expands its ties with Central Asia and Turkic states.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a joint news conference with his counterpart Zheenbek Kulubaev and expressed his pleasure in making his first trip abroad in 2024 to Kyrgyzstan, "a respectable member of the Turkic world."

Fidan said he discussed bilateral relations and regional and global developments with Kulubaev.

Türkiye was the first country to recognize the independence of Kyrgyzstan after the Soviet Union dissolved. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established on Jan. 29, 1992. The embassies were reciprocally opened in Bishkek and Ankara in the same year. The Agreement on Eternal Friendship and Cooperation was signed by Türkiye's eighth President Turgut Özal and Kyrgyzstan's first President Askar Akayev in 1997. The two countries also signed a joint statement on establishing a high-level strategic cooperation council in 2012.

Türkiye provides the most development and social aid to Kyrgyzstan, especially through the state-run Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA). It also ranks high among countries investing in Kyrgyzstan, following Russia, China and Kazakhstan. At least 300 Turkish companies currently operate in the country.

Fidan noted that they held the sixth joint strategic planning meeting with the Kyrgyz side and signed a 2024-2026 program for cooperation. He said leaders of the two countries would attend a high-level strategic cooperation meeting in the future. He noted that the countries carried out joint projects and discussed the economic steps with his counterpart, especially a more efficient and permanent way to improve commerce and exchange ideas on travel between the two countries without a passport.

The Turkish minister said they also discussed the activities of Türkiye's Maarif Foundation in Kyrgyzstan and ending the presence of schools linked to the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) in the country. FETÖ is known for operating a vast network of schools, particularly in Turkic states.

Fidan highlighted the importance of health care cooperation between the two countries, hailing a Turkish-Kyrgyz hospital built by TIKA in the country and noted that Türkiye conveyed its medical experience to Kyrgyzstan through health care services.

Kyrgyzstan will take over the term presidency of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) this year. Fidan said he discussed with his Kyrgyz counterpart to improve the efficiency of the international body.

"We expressed our satisfaction with Kyrgyzstan's border agreement with Uzbekistan last year," Fidan said. "Hopefully, we received information that we will receive similar positive news with Tajikistan within this year."

In December, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan agreed on the demarcation of 47 kilometers (29.2 miles) of their border. Tensions have been present between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, primarily stemming from a border dispute, as well as matters related to irrigation, smuggling and illegal border crossings. This dispute has led to clashes between the two countries, the latest of which broke out at a disputed section of their border in the Batken region on Sept. 14, 2022. While 503 kilometers of the 970-kilometer border are well-defined, the Kyrgyz and Tajik governments have not yet resolved their border dispute. Fidan emphasized the importance for Türkiye that there will be no controversial issues among Central Asian countries.

They also exchanged views on the Russia-Ukraine war, Fidan said. He discussed Türkiye's position as the country with the longest coastline on the Black Sea, its relations with Ukraine and Russia and how it can be effective in reviving the Black Sea grain deal, Fidan added.

Gaza issue

Fidan's agenda inevitably included the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The minister is among top diplomats from several countries who were on a globe-trotting tour of diplomacy to resolve the Palestine-Israel conflict, with an immediate humanitarian pause and a lasting, two-state solution. Fidan said the issue came up at his meeting with Kulubaev.

"We agreed that the massacre in Gaza and the silence of the international community, particularly the West, to this on a governmental level and direct or indirect support to this massacre posed risks for global security. Ironically, everybody has the same opinion on the issue, but it still lingers. This means there is a need to take different steps," he said, without elaborating.