President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Jan. 29 that he is confident that Turkic world will leave its mark on this century at a joint press conference with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Ankara.
"As long as we stand heart to heart, God willing, we are confident we will leave the Turkish world’s mark on this century," said Erdoğan.
Erdoğan said that over the past decade, Türkiye tripled bilateral trade with Uzbekistan. "I believe we will soon reach our new $5 billion target," he added.
Türkiye is becoming one of the world’s new geopolitical power hubs, Mirziyoyev said.
He said Türkiye’s growing global influence and successes go beyond just the Muslim world, and that its "Century of Türkiye” initiative is being implemented in an orderly and consistent manner.
"Türkiye is literally becoming one of the world’s new geopolitical power hubs," he said.
Erdoğan welcomed Mirziyoyev to Türkiye on Jan. 29 as the two leaders co-chaired the fourth meeting of the high-level strategic cooperation council between the two countries.
Erdoğan welcomed Mirziyoyev at Ankara's Esenboğa International Airport.
He was accompanied by Turkish first lady Emine Erdoğan, Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, and other officials as he welcomed Mirziyoyev.
The Uzbek president inspected the guard of honor and the two leaders posed for a souvenir photo in the Grand Honor Hall.
Following the welcoming ceremony at the airport, Erdoğan hosted Mirziyoyev at the Turkish presidential complex.
Mirziyoyev’s official vehicle was escorted to the protocol gate by 103 cavalry units in honor of the 103rd anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Türkiye.
Erdoğan welcomed Mirziyoyev at the main entrance of the complex, where both leaders stood for the national anthems of the two countries, performed by a military band.
The two leaders also attended a signing ceremony following bilateral talks.
Economic ties have strengthened markedly in recent years. Bilateral trade reached roughly $3 billion in 2025, and both sides have set a medium-term target of about $5 billion. Uzbekistan has also emerged as a significant destination for Turkish investors, while Turkish companies play an increasing role in Uzbekistan’s industry and infrastructure.
Türkiye ranked among the top foreign investors in Uzbekistan last year, with Turkish capital listed at roughly $2.6 billion; more than 2,000 Turkish-linked firms operate in Uzbekistan, contributing to employment and construction of transport and industrial projects.
The visit also included the opening of a residential complex in the southern province of Hatay built with Uzbek support after the devastating Feb. 6, 2023, earthquakes, a gesture officials framed as a demonstration of solidarity and one of several humanitarian and reconstruction projects launched by Tashkent.
Turkish officials have long said historical and cultural links underpin the partnership, pointing to shared language roots. The diplomatic relations between the countries trace back to the early 1990s. Türkiye was the first country to recognize Uzbekistan after the Soviet collapse on Dec. 16, 1991, and formal diplomatic ties were established in 1992, with embassies opened in the following years.
Officials on both sides said the council meeting and Mirziyoyev’s visit were intended to consolidate the relationship and move forward on concrete economic and cultural projects that reflect a long-standing partnership.
Turkish diplomatic sources said earlier this month Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a telephone conversation with his Uzbek counterpart, Bakhtiyor Saidov, to discuss bilateral relations and coordinate the diplomatic summit on Jan. 29
Since establishing the council in June 2004, the two countries have signed a series of agreements to bolster cooperation in the defense industry, energy, transportation and counterterrorism.
Following bilateral and delegation-level meetings, the two sides signed eight agreements and memoranda of understanding covering cooperation in health, education, culture, transport corridors, mining, energy, higher education, free and special economic zones, and economic and financial affairs.
Mirziyoyev said Uzbekistan always feels, appreciates and welcomes Türkiye’s support, and that Türkiye has become a comprehensive strategic partner through joint efforts.
“Indeed, due to our shared mother tongue and sacred religion, no distance can separate us from our brotherly Turkish people,” he said, adding that the realization of all goals between the two countries is the result of solidarity, unity and togetherness.
He stressed that the two sides agreed to accelerate bilateral relations in all areas in 2026, to regularly hold meetings of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council, and to make effective use of the Joint Economic Commission and strategic planning mechanisms.
Mirziyoyev said the two sides decided to launch joint committees as a new format for dialogue at the ministerial and local levels.
Meanwhile the first ladies of Türkiye and Uzbekistan, Emine Erdoğan and Ziroat Mirziyoyeva, also met in Ankara.
Welcoming Mirziyoyeva at the entrance of Ankara Palas, Emine Erdoğan toured the museum with her guest, which features distinguished works from the Ottoman and Republican eras.
Impressed by Anatolian embroidery techniques, Mirziyoyeva invited master trainers from Türkiye’s institutes to Uzbekistan to develop cooperation aimed at teaching these techniques to artists in her country.
“Culture is one of the strongest bridges that brings societies closer together, keeps our shared memory alive, and builds lasting ties between nations. With this perspective, I believe every shared moment will further strengthen the friendship between Türkiye and Uzbekistan, and I wish for our brotherhood to endure,” Emine Erdoğan said on the Turkish social media platform Nsosyal.
