Today's Zaman: Turkey, Turkmenistan seal new energy deals

Following a meeting with Turkmen president Gurbanguli Berdimuhamedov in Ankara, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has announced that Turkey, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan will establish a trilateral mechanism on energy issues, with the first leaders' meeting to take place in Turkmenistan.

Berdimuhamedov and the delegation accompanying him arrived in Ankara on Tuesday for discussions focusing on economic relations and energy cooperation with their Turkish counterparts. The Turkmen president was welcomed at the presidential palace by Erdoğan with an official ceremony. The two leaders then conducted bilateral talks at the palace and later a meeting between the two delegations took place.

Speaking at a joint press conference, Erdoğan said that Turkey will continue to work with Turkmenistan to promote regional stability, prosperity and security. He added that Turkey will focus on boosting its relations with Turkmenistan on economy, agriculture, energy and transportation.

The Turkish president also stressed that Turkey-Turkmenistan relations are “strategic,” particularly due to the transportation and energy cooperation between the two countries. Mentioning that Turkmenistan plays a key role in connecting Central Asian gas with international markets, Erdoğan said he had exchanged views with Berdimuhamedov on transporting Turkmen gas to European markets via Turkey.

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