Turkey was the first country to recognize the independence of Turkmenistan and to establish an Embassy in Ashgabat. Turkey also supports Turkmenistan’s neutrality status.
Bound by a common history, language, religion and culture, the two countries and peoples sustain balanced, cooperative and close relations based on the axiom “One Nation, Two States” and mutual respect.
Today the cooperation between the two countries encompasses very diverse fields; foreign policy, trade, economy, culture and education being the foremost areas.
After 2007, the Turkish-Turkmen relations, gaining a new impetus, have continued to develop rapidly with a busy schedule of visits by the Heads of States and Governments.
In the last four years, Turkish President H.E. Mr. Abdullah Gül visited Turkmenistan four times and Turkish Prime Minister H.E. Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan once. The President of Turkmenistan, H.E. Mr. Gurbangulu Berdimuhamedov,
in turn, conducted three visits to Turkey. Contacts at ministerial level are also dense. In December 2010, Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs H.E. Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu held the first visit of a Turkish Foreign Minister to Turkmenistan in 10 years.
Turkish businessmen have been contributing to Turkmenistan’s development since the early days of independence. About 600 Turkish companies are registered in Turkmenistan. In the last years, Turkmenistan has become the country in Central Asia
where Turkish contracting companies overtook the most projects; in 2010 Turkmenistan was ranked first worldwide in this respect. From the independence of Turkmenistan until today, Turkish companies assumed contracting work in the country totaling
over 22 billion USD. This figure has exceeded 4 billion USD in 2010 and reached almost 2 billion USD during the first half of 2011.
Apart from the construction sector, the textile sector is another area with active Turkish private engagement. The trade volume between Turkey and Turkmenistan is also rapidly increasing.
Close relations between Turkey and Turkmenistan exist in humanitarian fields as well. Each year, numerous Turkmen citizens travel to Turkey for tourism and trade, and thousands of Turkmen students receive university-level education in Turkey.
Over 10 thousand Turkish citizens living in Turkmenistan form an important bridge between two brotherly peoples.
Turkmen citizens are exempted from visa for their touristic trips to Turkey for a period of maximum 30 days.