Turkmenistan Exclusive

 

President Abdullah Gül paid a state visit to Turkmenistan at the invitation of President Gurbangulu Berdimuhamedov. During his visit, President Gül was decorated The State Medal of Turkmenistan, which was given to a foreign head of state for the first time in the Turkmen history. The relevant departments of the two governments signed 12 important agreements in many areas including the energy sector. The President, granted honorary professorship by the Turkmenistan State Institute of Economics and Management, delivered an address at the ceremony during which he declared Turkmenistan to be the fatherland of the Turkish nation.

President Abdullah Gül, accompanied by First Lady Hayrünnisa Gül, paid a state visit to Turkmenistan at the invitation of President Gurbangulu Berdimuhamedov.

President Abdullah Gül and First Lady Hayrünnisa Gül were welcomed by Vice Chairman of the Cabinet and Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov, Education Minister Gül Shad Mamedova, Turkmenistan’s Ambassador to Ankara Ata Serdarov, Turkish Ambassador to Ashgabad Şevki Mütevellioğlu and other officials at Saparmurat Turkmenbashi Airport. A group of Turkish and Turkmen citizens were also present during the welcoming ceremony at the airport. Turkmen children in their national garments presented bread to the First Couple and they also gave the First Lady a bunch of flowers.

WELCOMING CEREMONY

Welcomed with an official ceremony by President Gurbangulu Berdimuhamedov, President Abdullah Gül watched the parade of the Guard of Honor. Afterwards, the two leaders proceeded to the Ruhiyet Palace.

GÜL DECORATED THE STATE MEDAL OF TURKMENISTAN

President Abdullah Gül attended a ceremony during which he was decorated with the State Medal of Turkmenistan by President Gurbangulu Berdimuhamedov at the Ruhiyet Palace.

Expressing his pride and honor in being granted the highest state medal of Turkmenistan, the fatherland of the Turkish nation, President Gül said this medal gave him more responsibility to contribute the already good relations between the two countries, proclaiming: “That I was decorated with the State Medal of Turkmenistan on behalf of the Turkish nation serves as the most tangible demonstration of the deep-rooted and unshakable fraternity our nations have. I, during Your Excellency’s visit to Turkey last year, decorated him with the State Medal of Turkey as well. These two State Medals are the strongest symbols that the eternal ‘bone brotherhood’ between our nations and countries will last forever. The quintessential collaboration serves the common interests of the two peoples, which can demonstrate itself in all areas between Turkey and Turkmenistan, two sister countries with a common language, history and culture.”

President Berdimuhamedov, afterwards, presented the State Medal of Turkmenistan to President Gül, enrobed him in a national gown and tied his belt. President Gül in kalpak (local hat) and President Berdimuhamedov later had a memoir photo taken.

12 AGREEMENTS SIGNED

After the decoration ceremony of the State Medal of Turkmenistan for President Gül, the two leaders had a tete-a-tete at the Oguzhan Palace and chaired the delegational talks.

As part of President Gül’s state visit to Turkmenistan, the relevant departments of the Turkish and Turkmen governments signed 12 cooperation agreements of great importance in such strategic areas as the energy sector, science and technology, diplomacy and culture.

President Abdullah Gül held a joint press conference with President Berdimuhamedov of Turkmenistan in Ashgabat after the delegational talks at the Oguzhan Palace.

President Gül, recalling that he and President Berdimuhamedov have visited one another five times each in the last five years, offered his thanks to his Turkmen counterpart for his warm welcome and hospitality.

Proclaiming that Turkey and Turkmenistan are two different states of the same nation, the President referred to Turkmenistan as a rising star of Asia and recalled that Turkey was the first country both to recognize Turkmenistan’s independence and to open an embassy in this country. I will carry the State Medal of Turkmenistan, promised President Gül, remembering that he also decorated President Berdimuhamedov with the State Medal of Turkey during his visit to Turkey last year. These medals, he said, are the most tangible demonstration of the level the bilateral relations of the two countries have reached, pointing to the huge projects Turkish firms are carrying out in Turkmenistan whose worth is 34 billion dollars and referring to their current volume of trade which is worth 3,5 billion dollars.

TWO STATES OF ONE NATION

President Abdullah Gül and President Gurbangulu Berdimuhamedov participated in the groundbreaking ceremony of the new campus of the International Turkmen-Turkish University. President Gül, at the beginning of his address, evinced his happiness to be laying the foundation of the university with his Turkmen counterpart in Turkmenistan, the fatherland of the Turkish nation.

Extending the love and greetings of the Turkish people to their Turkmen brothers and sisters, President Gül noted that their forefathers, while spreading to the four corners of the world, including Eurasia, protected the understanding of one nation and he said they have established great civilizations in history through such great men as Hoca Ahmet Yesevi, Dede Korkut, Uluğ Bey, Kaşgarlı Mahmut and Mahtumkulu, sharing his hope that this university will raise graduates like these figures who will contribute to the consolidation of their national conscience and who will help develop their common civilization.

GÜL AT THE OLYMPIC VILLAGE AND MONUMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION

President Abdullah Gül, continuing his official program in Ashgabat, explored the Olympic Village, which was built by a Turkish firm and he and his spouse, Hayrünnisa Gül, visited the tomb of former President Saparmurat Turkmenbashi, who passed away in 2006. Upon their arrival, they were welcomed by Akhal Governor Mammetniyazov Nurmammedov and Ashgabat Melan Akıyev and they later laid a wreath at Turkmenbashi’s tomb.

The First Couple afterwards visited Kıpçak Mosque in the cemetery about whose architecture and history they were informed. They later proceeded to the Monument of the Constitution where Ashgabat Governor Recebgeldi Nurmamedov welcomed them. President Gül, laying a wreath at the monument and he and the First Lady planted a pine sapling in the garden.

GÜL GRANTED HONORARY PROFESSORSHIP

President Abdullah Gül was granted honorary professorship by Turkmenistan State Institute of Economics and Management.

After being welcomed by Rector Purli Agamuradov at the institute, President Gül watched a folk dance performance of Turkmen dancers and explored an exhibition of coins and trappings.

Averring his pride in being granted honorary professorship during his address at the ceremony, President Gül said he regarded this as a courtesy shown to Turkey and shared his pleasure at observing that Turkmenistan is resolute to boost her relations with Turkey in all areas, declaring that Turkey and Turkmenistan are two states of one nation. Accentuating that culture is not limited to borders, President Gül referred to great Turkish men of culture and science whose ideas, language and actions are fostered from the same source, pointing to such figures as Hoca Ahmet Yesevi, Yunus Emre and Mahtumkulu Firaki. Turkish language and culture, he said, are the common denominator of a very large geography indeed. “We enjoy reunion with our blood brothers and we have constructed unshakable relations based on historic bonds.”

OFFICIAL DINNER

President Abdullah Gül attended the official dinner President Gurbangulu Berdimuhamedov hosted in his honor at the Oğuzhan Palace. Informing his audience that this is his fifth visit to Turkmenistan in five years, President Gül said he feels home in this country and extended his thanks to President Berdimuhamedov for his warm welcome and hospitality, referring to the visit which was held with the protocol status of “State Visit” for the first time in Turkmenistan, for which he also offered his thanks to his Turkmen counterpart. Since 2007, when he visited Ashgabat for the first time as President, Turkmenistan has considerably developed and experienced a great transformation for the better, said the President, evincing his belief that under the leadership of President Berdimuhamedov, it will achieve more. Through the policy of “active impartiality” Turkmenistan is pursuing with a great resoluteness and with its political and economic stability, it is greatly contributing to the peace and prosperity in the region.

President Gül, at the end of his speech, read a stanza of the famous folk poet, Dadaloğlu, who tells of the greatness of the Turks: “A child of Avşaroğlu I am, we all go back to the Turkmen people, from the same dough we are made, let’s make this land our land.” He further read another stanza by Turkmenistan’s national poet, Mahtumkulu, who tells of how Turkmen people regard the Ottoman Empire and the Turkish nation: “Its kinfolk are many, its lands are all wide, its soldiers are famed and known to everyone, Swinging swords well in battles, saying words well at divan, its few are worth many, This Devlet-i Âli.”

EQUESTRIAN PORTS PERFORMANCE

President Abdullah Gül and President Gurbangulu Berdimuhamedov enjoyed an equestrian sports performance at the Turkmenistan Presidency Equestrian Sports Complex.

President Berdimuhamedov welcomed President Gül at the Turkmenistan Presidency Equestrian Sports Complex and they proceeded to the tent near the manege where the performance was held and afterwards they watched it in the lounge at the hippodrome.

BERDIMUHAMEDOV PRESENTS AN AKHA TEKE HORSE TO GÜL

President Berdimuhamedov, at the end of the equestrian performance, presented an Akhal Teke Turkmen horse named “Arkadaş (friend)” to President Gül and the two leaders had a memoir photo taken with “Arkadaş”. President Gül expressed his pleasure to have been given Arkadaş as a gift by President Berdimuhamedov, whom he called “my friend”.

The two Presidents had also breakfast at the complex.

GÜL WITH TURKISH CITIZENS

President Abdullah Gül, on the last day of his state visit to Turkmenistan, met with Turkish citizens and businessmen residing in Turkmenistan

Welcomed by children upon their arrival at the Mizan Business Center, the First Couple had a memoir photo taken with them. Declaring Turkmenistan to be the fatherland of the Turkish nation and revealing his happiness to be with them in Ashgabat, President Gül said he and President Berdimuhamedov have visited one another five times each in the last five years, which he stressed demonstrates how robust the bilateral relations and bonds the two countries enjoy.

President Gül and Mrs. Gül afterwards had a memoir photo taken with the Turkish citizens in the hall.

After that, President Gül performed the Friday Prayer at Ertuğrul Gazi Mosque.

MRS. GÜL WATCHES DANCE AND MUSICAL PERFORMANCE

Welcomed by General Coordinator Kerimguli Garovov of the Mukamlar Palace, Mrs. Gül was presented traditional bread upon her arrival and proceeded afterwards to the hall where the dance and musical performance which was organized for her was held. She enjoyed the great enthusiasm of children who welcomed her waving both Turkish and Turkmen flags with exuberance when she appeared at the gate of the hall.

The First Lady accompanied by Turkmen Education Minister Gülşat Mamedova watched the performance with some 1,000 audience members. During the cultural program, Turkmen songs and folk dances were performed and two Turkmen students who came first in different categories during the International Turkish Olympiads sang a Turkish folk song, “Urfa’nın Etrafı-Around the City of Urfa”

FIRST LADY EXPLORES TWO MUSEUMS

The First Lady, exploring the National Carpet Museum, which displays some 2,000 carpets woven in different provinces of Turkmenistan, closely examined a 301-square-meter carpet called Altın Asır (Golden Era) which was put in the Guinness Records Book in 2003 and she further chatted with Turkmen women working at the weaving ateliers.

Afterwards, she visited the Vocational Education Center where children under the state’s care can learn a craft. She was welcomed by a group of these children performing folkdances for her.

Mrs. Gül afterwards visited the Museum of Fine Arts.

Having completed his program in Turkmenistan, President Gül left for Turkey.