On May 19, 2025, the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies (ISRS) under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan hosted a roundtable discussion on “Uzbekistan – Türkiye: prospects for a comprehensive strategic partnership” with the participation of a Turkish delegation led by the 11th President of the Republic of Türkiye, Abdullah Gül.

Abdullah Gül is a statesman, the 11th President of Türkiye. Previously, he was the Minister of Foreign Affairs and served as Prime Minister. Over the years of his career, he has played a significant role in the socio-economic development of Türkiye and the enhancement of its international role.

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Türkiye, Ufuk Ulutaş, Chairman of the Senate Committee of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan Alisher Agzamkhodjayev, deputies of the parliaments of the two countries, as well as leading experts of ISRS, attended the event.

The strengthening of political dialogue, expanding trade-economic and cultural-humanitarian ties, as well as current issues of regional security and global development, were considered during the discussions.

Abdullah Gül highly appreciated the current state of bilateral relations, stressing that their progressive development is mainly due to the political will of the leadership of both countries. The pragmatic foreign policy of the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, was particularly noted, thanks to which cooperation between the countries reached a fundamentally new level.

The distinguished guest positively assessed the results of the reforms carried out in Uzbekistan under the leadership of the President, noting their contribution to the sustainable development of the country, improving the standard of living of the population, and strengthening Uzbekistan’s position in the international arena.

According to Abdullah Gül, “Uzbekistan has always been the center of civilization, science, and education, occupying a special place in the region. The country has given the world such prominent figures as Imam al-Bukhari, Maturidi, al-Fergani, Amir Temur, Mirzo Ulugbek, and Zahiriddin Muhammad Babur. The appearance of such personalities became possible thanks to the effective system of public administration of its time”.

In this regard, he stressed: “We are witnessing the revival of these historical processes. The conditions for realizing the Third Renaissance are being formed in Uzbekistan. The reforms carried out under the leadership of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev are giving grounds for new hopes. The country is confidently entering a new phase of its development”.

He called Uzbekistan the “Heart of the Turkic world” and noted its key role in enhancing multilateral cooperation within the Organization of Turkic States (OTS). Thanks to Uzbekistan’s proactive position, the OTS is now a dynamically developing international structure with a well-defined agenda.

The Ambassador of Türkiye to Uzbekistan Ufuk Ulutaş emphasized the positive dynamics in the development of the Uzbekistan – Türkiye partnership, noting that cooperation between the two countries covers more areas and is becoming more results-oriented.

The trade turnover between the two countries has tripled since 2016 and reached $3.5 billion in 2024, making Türkiye the fourth largest foreign trade partner of Uzbekistan. More than 2,000 Turkish companies are operating in Uzbekistan, which indicates a high level of trust from the business circles of both countries.

Chairman of the Senate Committee of the Oliy Majlis Alisher Agzamkhodjayev also highlighted the need to further unlock the potential of Uzbekistan – Türkiye cooperation.

According to him, today, the multifaceted Uzbekistan – Türkiye relations based on long-term friendship and mutual trust have moved to a more comprehensive and overall level. Establishing a close and trusting dialogue between the two countries’ leaders has become a key factor in bringing interstate relations to such a high level.

Summarizing all these positive trends, the participants of the roundtable discussion noted with satisfaction that today, Tashkent and Ankara have embarked on closer cooperation, aiming to strengthen all key areas of interaction.

Following the event, the parties confirmed their mutual interest in further deepening partnerships and dialogue between the governments, parliaments, and analytical centers of Uzbekistan and Türkiye to develop concrete proposals to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.

UzA