Turkic Integration In Action: Erdogan's Visit To Kazakhstan Amid Deepening Economic Ties

(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 13. The state visit of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Kazakhstan, scheduled for May 13-14, will occur against the backdrop of deepening economic and political cooperation between Kazakhstan and Türkiye. The two countries are expanding collaboration across multiple sectors, including logistics, energy, technology, and agriculture. This process is further reinforced by the development of Turkic integration and the increasing significance of the Middle Corridor in regional trade.

President Erdogan's visit follows closely on the heels of the meeting of the intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation, held in Astana with the participation of Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz. During that meeting, both parties reaffirmed their plans to expand investment cooperation and to further develop the Middle Corridor, which connects China and Europe via Central Asia, the Caspian Sea, the South Caucasus, and Türkiye. Over the past seven years, freight traffic along the corridor has increased fivefold, while delivery times have been reduced to 13 days.

Transport remains a central component of the bilateral agenda. Rail freight between Kazakhstan and Türkiye grew by 35% in 2025, reaching 6.4 million tons, while freight volumes along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route exceeded 4 million tons.

The increasing significance of these transport routes reflects broader changes in Eurasian logistics chains and the efforts of regional countries to reduce dependence on traditional transit corridors. Kazakhstan and Türkiye view the Middle Corridor as a long-term infrastructure project and are working on railway modernization, expansion of port capacities, and tariff policy coordination.

According to the Kazakh government, Türkiye ranks among Kazakhstan's five largest trading partners. In 2025, bilateral trade turnover increased by 9%, while exports of Kazakh products grew by 17.7%, reaching $3.9 billion. Concurrently, Astana seeks to shift cooperation toward higher value-added sectors, including metallurgy, pharmaceuticals, agro-processing, and machinery. In the previous year, Turkish investments in Kazakhstan's economy amounted to approximately $390 million, bringing the total inflow over the past two decades to more than $6 billion.

Energy continues to represent a promising area of cooperation. Kazakhstan maintains the use of the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline for oil exports through Turkish territory. According to Sanzhar Zharkeshov, Deputy Minister of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, a key focus of bilateral collaboration includes electricity projects. Notably, the“Kyzylorda” combined cycle power plant, with a capacity of 240 MW, is being implemented in the Kyzylorda region with the participation of a Turkish company. Additional electricity sector projects are currently under detailed review.

The development of the petrochemical industry constitutes another significant area of cooperation. Kazakhstan plans to implement petrochemical projects valued at $15 billion and has invited Turkish companies to participate in these initiatives.

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