Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended the Kazakh-Turkish Business Forum.
At the beginning of his speech, the Head of State highlighted the forum's effective and informative nature and thanked Turkey for its support in organizing the event.
The President emphasized that Kazakhstan provides comprehensive support to Turkish companies.
"Today, approximately 3,800 enterprises with Turkish capital are successfully operating in our country. Thousands of jobs have been created through our joint efforts. Deepening cooperation in the industrial sector is essential to increasing investment. I am confident that today's event will contribute to a further increase in the number of joint ventures. In this regard, I believe the Intergovernmental Commission between Kazakhstan and Turkey should play a special role," the Head of State stated.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev specifically highlighted the country's socioeconomic development indicators.
"Kazakhstan is the largest economy in Central Asia. Last year, our country's gross domestic product grew by 6.5%, exceeding $300 billion." This demonstrates the stability and enormous potential of the domestic market. We intend to strengthen this momentum. Today, Kazakhstan prioritizes the development of education, science, and innovation. This is a strategic objective facing our country. As is well known, a national referendum was held in March. According to the new Constitution, all forms of ownership are guaranteed in Kazakhstan. The country's Basic Law reliably protects the rights of investors. However, foreign and domestic entrepreneurs must also not violate our legislation. In accordance with the principle of "Law and Order" enshrined in the Constitution, all citizens are equal before the law," the Head of State emphasized
As the President noted, creating a favorable environment for business is a priority of state policy.
"Extensive work is currently underway in this area. The Foreign Investors Council under the President has been established. A dedicated Investment Headquarters is operational. The National Digital Platform, operating on a one-stop-shop principle, has been launched. Foreign entrepreneurs can take advantage of the Altyn Visa program. The main goal of this unique visa is to provide investors with tax and immigration benefits. I encourage Turkish entrepreneurs to take advantage of this opportunity. As you know, the Astana International Financial Center (AIFC) is actively operating in our capital. It is a leading hub in the region, created to provide comprehensive support to investors and entrepreneurs. The center operates under the principles of English law, leveraging the best practices of the financial centers of Istanbul, London, Dubai, and New York. More than 5,600 companies from nearly 90 countries are registered here, including 73 Turkish companies operating in finance, trade, construction, and other sectors. Furthermore, the partnership between the Astana Financial Center and the Borsa Istanbul stock exchange is strengthening. We are interested in expanding ties with Turkish businesses. As we understand, at the initiative of Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a number of specific measures will be implemented to attract large-scale investment into the national economy. Bona fide entrepreneurs will be granted a range of regulatory and tax benefits. We will certainly study this initiative to effectively implement its most relevant aspects," he said.
The speech further noted the need to develop cooperation in the industrial sector.
"We have achieved concrete achievements in this area. To date, 142 projects worth a total of $7.6 billion have been implemented through the joint efforts of Kazakh-Turkish business circles. Among these, I would like to highlight YDA Holding, which has opened a multi-industry manufacturing complex in our country. Furthermore, it is increasing aluminum production and manufacturing medical products. Panelsan and Betek Boya are implementing projects in the construction and chemical industries, and Aksa Energy has launched a modern power plant in the Kyzylorda region. All these projects are designed to strengthen Kazakhstan's production potential," said Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
The Head of State also identified developing cooperation in transport and logistics as an important objective.
"Kazakhstan is one of the key transit hubs between China and Europe. Currently, 85% of cargo traffic along this route passes through our country." The Trans-Caspian international transport route, known as the Middle Corridor, significantly strengthens Kazakhstan's transport potential. In recent years, the volume of cargo transported along it has increased more than fivefold. In 2025, container traffic grew by 36%. We intend to increase this figure to 10 million tons in the near future. A unified digital management platform, Smart Cargo, has been developed to effectively coordinate the transit transportation system. Overall, expanding the capabilities of the Middle Corridor is in the long-term interests of our countries. In this regard, we have proposed jointly implementing the e-permit project, which will enable logistics procedures to be carried out electronically, thereby ensuring maximum process transparency and minimizing administrative costs. I believe it is important to integrate the Middle Corridor project with the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) initiative. The significant contribution of Turkish entrepreneurs to the country's civil aviation infrastructure is also worth mentioning. TAV Holding is currently reconstructing the international terminal of Almaty Airport. S Sistem Lojistik has expressed interest in building a logistics center at Aktobe Airport. The President noted that the implementation of these initiatives will help strengthen the potential of the domestic aviation industry.
According to Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, partnerships in the agro-industrial complex and agricultural sector should be intensified.
"Kazakhstan ranks sixth in the world in terms of arable land area and is also among the top ten grain exporters. Last year, our farmers harvested 27 million tons of grain. Over the past five years, agricultural exports have increased by 1.8 times. Our country ranks 32nd in the Global Food Security Index. In 2025, bilateral trade in the agricultural sector increased by 25%, with significant potential for further growth. For example, Tiryaki Holding intends to build a deep processing plant for grain and legumes in the capital. İskefe plans to launch a gelatin production facility. Alarko Holding plans to build a greenhouse complex in Shymkent. I believe these projects are designed to stimulate the growth of the domestic processing industry and increase export potential." Priorities include the introduction of modern agricultural technologies and the development of irrigation systems. We also intend to cooperate in veterinary and phytosanitary medicine. For our part, we declare our readiness to export halal-compliant meat products to Turkey," the Head of State said.
The President emphasized the paramount importance of developing the domestic pharmaceutical industry and medical infrastructure.
"Large Turkish pharmaceutical companies such as Abdi İbrahim and Nobel have opened their first foreign facilities in Kazakhstan. YDA Group is building multidisciplinary hospitals in Turkestan and Petropavlovsk. Orzax Group is participating in the construction of a dietary supplements plant in the Turkestan region. We fully support all these endeavors. Kazakhstan is interested in deepening its partnership with Turkish businesses and creating a favorable investment climate for them. I am confident that these initiatives will provide a powerful impetus for Kazakhstan's transformation into a leading pharmaceutical and export hub in the region," said Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
The Head of State's speech paid special attention to the processes of total digitalization.
"We prioritize the implementation of advanced technologies in various sectors of the economy. A Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development has been established, and two powerful supercomputers have been launched. The Alem.aI International Center for Artificial Intelligence has opened in Astana. We have begun implementing comprehensive measures to introduce artificial intelligence into the secondary education system. Two days ago, I signed the corresponding decree. Today, we face the challenges of adapting the education system to the abilities of each student, protecting personal data, developing digital infrastructure, and training teachers proficient in modern technologies. Particular attention is being paid to the development of the city of Alatau. In accordance with the new Constitution, the city has been granted the legal status of "accelerated development area." This project opens up significant opportunities for the development of the crypto industry, innovation, and technology businesses. In recent years, contacts between Turkish businesses and domestic trading platforms have significantly expanded. For example, Kaspi.kz acquired a controlling stake in Hepsiburada. Freedom Holding has created a digital ecosystem in Turkey and has begun scaling its brokerage operations. We are ready to jointly implement specific projects with Turkish companies in the fields of artificial intelligence, fintech, cybersecurity, and online services," the President emphasized.
In turn, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed satisfaction with the high level of development of bilateral economic relations, achieved thanks to the contributions of Kazakh and Turkish entrepreneurs.
"Turkey is following with great interest Kazakhstan's economic successes under the visionary leadership of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. In 2025, the country's gross domestic product grew by 6.5%, approaching $15,000 per capita. Today, Kazakhstan is recognized as the largest economy in Central Asia, with a foreign trade turnover of $145 billion. As a result of this growth, the country will become our largest trade and economic partner in the Turkic world in 2025. Of course, we do not plan to rest on our laurels; our goal is to increase it to $15 billion," the Turkish President said.
