ASTANA – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is scheduled to arrive in Kazakhstan on May 14 for a state visit that will feature the inaugural convening of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council, a bilateral mechanism reflecting the elevated status of ties between Ankara and Astana. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev confirmed the visit during an April 15 meeting with Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz at the Akorda presidential palace, according to an official readout.
The May visit marks Erdoğan's first trip to Kazakhstan since the two countries elevated their partnership framework, a process that has gained momentum over the past two years through regular high-level exchanges and expanding commercial ties. Yılmaz told Tokayev that the Turkish president attaches particular importance to the visit, as well as to his scheduled participation in an informal summit of the Organization of Turkic States to be held in Turkistan. The Organization of Turkic States, which groups Kazakhstan, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, serves as a multilateral platform through which Astana and Ankara coordinate positions on regional security, economic integration, and cultural diplomacy.
During the April 15 talks, Tokayev reiterated that Türkiye remains one of Kazakhstan's most significant strategic partners, describing the relationship as anchored in mutual trust and shared interests. "There are no contradictions or disagreements between Kazakhstan and Türkiye," the Kazakh president stated, according to Akorda. The two leaders reviewed the current state of bilateral cooperation and identified priority areas for expansion, with particular emphasis on trade facilitation, infrastructure investment, and transportation connectivity. Several intergovernmental and commercial agreements are expected to be signed during Erdoğan's visit.
The High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council represents a formalization of the strategic partnership that both governments have described as a cornerstone of their respective foreign policy orientations in Central Asia. The body's inaugural session will establish working groups and procedural frameworks for ongoing ministerial-level coordination across the identified sectors. Kazakhstan's foreign policy apparatus has signaled that the council will provide structured channels for addressing trade imbalances, improving customs procedures, and advancing joint infrastructure projects along the Trans-Caspian corridor.
Kazakhstan's president had earlier signaled his intention to attend the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, scheduled for April 17–19, where regional and global diplomatic priorities were set to be discussed among heads of state and senior officials from Turkic-speaking nations and beyond. The forum provides a backdrop to the bilateral preparations, with both Kazakh and Turkish delegations using multilateral settings to align positions ahead of the May summit in Astana.