In a pre-visit interview with Today’s Zaman, Kyrgyz Prime Minister Almazbek Atambayev said: “Turkey is our North Star, and as Turkey grows and develops, it stands as an example for us. It opens the way forward for its brother nations.” Speaking very good Turkish, Atambayev underscored the importance of this visit by Erdoğan, noting that it means much from the perspective of showing support for the newly formed Kyrgyz government.
“A friend in need is a friend indeed. Turkey, our brother nation, has always been by our side. Our nation has had a particularly trying time since last April, and we have noted Turkey’s presence by our side during these times. Turkey has not withheld a single act of generosity from us,” Atambayev said.
The Kyrgyz prime minister also noted that if Ankara were to request it, visa restrictions could be either expanded to a three-month limit or done away with completely. As for Turkish schools active in Kyrgyzstan, Prime Minister Atambayev said: “Not only are Turkish efforts in the arena of education helping Kyrgyzstan, they are also seriously contributing to improving relations between the two nations. This is why I support these efforts with all my heart.”
Atambayev also spoke with Today’s Zaman on topics ranging from political relations to the economy, lifting visa restrictions with Turkey and other subjects of interest.
What are some of the expectations concerning Prime Minister Erdoğan’s visit to Kyrgyzstan? How might this visit affect relations between the two countries?
We do have some significant expectations. The visit by my dear friend Prime Minister Erdoğan will definitely accelerate relations between our countries. Our relations will develop as a result. There can be no doubt that such a visit to a country just emerging from a difficult period of time will only strengthen the relations between the peoples of our nations, and make our friendship closer as well.
With Kyrgyzstan having just transferred to a parliamentary system, is there any special meaning regarding the fact that the first post-parliamentary system visit from abroad is from Turkey?
For us, even a one-day visit from the very busy Prime Minister Erdoğan carries great meaning. And, of course, the first visit being from Turkey, especially right after we moved to a parliamentary system, is very meaningful also. We see this visit as an expression of support to both the newly formed government and the people of Kyrgyzstan. The arrival of the prime minister of our mother nation Turkey in Kyrgyzstan means that he is bringing with him both greetings and support from that land.
Turkey is one of the most important investors in Kyrgyzstan, with around 300 Turkish companies active in your country. What are some of the plans in this coming period for attracting more investors to Kyrgyzstan, as well as making things easier for those already there?
I would like to see Turkish investors attracted to every arena there is in Kyrgyzstan. We await Turkish businessmen in every area as we believe they will contribute to the nation’s economy and enliven every sector we have. As the leadership of the nation, we have full belief in Turkish businessmen. And in fact, their role is very large in terms of our development and the road towards prosperity.
On this topic, reciprocal trust is very important, of course. When investors trust us, they come to our country and make their investments. What falls to us then is to imbue them with a sense of security and trust, and to make things easier for them. From investors, we hear the most complaints about problems deriving from auditing and supervision. So our first priority is to see that auditing and supervisory mechanisms are carried out with a single hand, more smoothly.
We are prepared to do whatever is necessary to attract more investors to our country. Within this framework, we will also make whatever regulatory changes are necessary. We are prepared to make it as easy as possible for investors who say they want to work here to do so.
In recent times, Turkey has entered into reciprocal agreements with many countries to lift visa restrictions. What would your perspective be if Erdoğan were to request during his visit that the visa agreements between our two countries be revamped to reflect the conditions of today?
I would first like to clarify that we watch with admiration as Turkey carries out its very active foreign relations with neighboring countries and other nations. While the rest of the world was shaken by the global economic crisis, Turkey was one of the countries least affected due to the precautions it took, as well as its increasing trade volume with neighboring countries. And, of course, the effect this has on all of its foreign policies cannot be denied. If Turkey would like, we could either extend the visa stay limits between the two countries to three months, or simply get rid of visa restrictions entirely. Just as our Turkish brothers can come here comfortably, let our citizens also comfortably head for Turkey.
The reciprocal visits that have taken place, particularly in recent times, have done much to develop closer relations between these two countries. What is the importance of Turkey for Kyrgyzstan?
The fact that Turkey was the first nation to recognize Kyrgyzstan’s independence says a lot. Turkey is the closest country to us, in that we’ve shared thousands of years of brotherhood, and also from the perspective of language, culture and traditions. The states, histories and cultures of both of these nations are linked. To solidify the relations between these two nations, whose history and past are so generally linked, is, from our perspective, very crucial. The fact that I came to Turkey immediately after my visit to Russia is a sign of the importance and value of Turkey for us. And it is not right just to connect this to economic factors either. In order to portray our situation, I would like to compare it to a situation wherein someone acts as an older brother to a child who is orphaned. During our most difficult time, Turkey acted like an older brother to us. It extended a helping hand to us during our most difficult time. This was a great support. For Kyrgyzstan, Turkey is really a very real and sincere sibling nation.
Do you believe that the Turkish Republic can enter into global politics as a new actor?
Turkey has, particularly under the Justice and Development Party [AK Party], taken many steps towards becoming a member of the EU, and to this end has made many reforms. But the EU is still resisting accepting Turkey as a member, and it persists in coming up with all sorts of reasons for not doing so. I personally believe that a “Turkic Union” could be formed. I see the official start of the Turkic Cooperation Council, which will occur at the summit to be attended by heads of state in İstanbul on Sept. 15, as the first step towards such a union. Though there are six nations involved currently, this number will increase over time, and thus our arenas of cooperation will also widen, and we could together become a new global actor. In fact, making an even more radical move, I believe we could form a union that even included Russia. Just as the EU today does not want Turkey in it, it also does not want Russia. Just as we are no longer in the days of the past, relations are also different than they used to be. We could form a very large and powerful union. All we need is to trust in ourselves and each other.
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‘I support Turkish schools with all my heart’
Schools connected to the International Sebat Educational Institution active in Kyrgyzstan, such as the International Ataturk Alatoo University and the Kyrgyzstan Turkey Manas University, are open and working. Currently there are thousands of students being educated at these universities. What do you think of the role played by these universities and how do you view their importance? What do you think such educational efforts contribute to the relations between our nations?
There can be no doubt about the importance of the educational institutions you have just mentioned. We, of course, absolutely support these institutions and developments in the arena of education. Just as these efforts are very beneficial for Kyrgyzstan, they also make a serious contribution to relations between our nations. Just as our history has been unified, God willing, so shall our future. We, of course, cannot even consider a future without education and the greatest role in enlightening the future is played by these institutions and our youngsters receiving their educations therein. The first and most important step in creating the Turkic Union is these educational efforts. So I support them with all of my heart.
At the 10th Summit of Turkic-Speaking States, Prime Minister Erdoğan made a proposal concerning a shared language and alphabet. What is your view on this proposal?
I do believe that a shared language and alphabet can happen. I think that it needs to happen. Some nations have already taken steps on this front. From our perspective, these things depend to a certain extent on economics. At this point, as far as we are concerned, we have neither the foundations nor the economic strength to bring these things about, but God willing, we will in the near future.
What sort of message would you like to extend to Turkey and the Turkish people? What are your expectations regarding your brother country Turkey?
I love Turkey and the Turkish people very much and want our friendship to stay strong. May God help Turkey. May Turkey grow more, develop more and may it become a nation with a truly enormous economy. May it become, as a nation, a guiding star for Turkic peoples. May we find our way and our road by looking toward it. A strong Turkey will open the road before us. Our greatest support and assistance comes from our brothers there. May God give the Turkish people and nation happiness and goodness. I would like to relay through you warm greetings to the Turkish nation and the people I love so much.
Excerpted from the interview with Kyrgyz Prime Minister Almazbek Atambayev. You may read the full interview at Today's Zaman's website. Published on 02 February 2011, Wednesday
Related Article: Kyrgyz parliament speaker: Turkey is our model
