12 January 2012- Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev  arrived in Turkey on his first visit abroad after resuming presidency to meet Turkish officials, including his Turkish counterpart, Abdullah Gül, to discuss cooperation between the two nations in the fields of culture, economy and defense.

“Relations between Turkey and Kyrgyzstan will not be a formality as it was in the past, god willing. Relations will be from the heart,” Atambayev said in a joint conference held after his meeting with Gül, who also voiced his support for Kyrgyzstan, which is pushing ahead with reforms in a process that resembles the Arab Spring movement. “Our motherland is Kyrgyzstan, we came from there; now the Kyrgyz are watching over the motherland,” Gül said in words that signaled the importance Kyrgyzstan holds for the rest of the Turkic nations on Thursday.

Atambayev also met with Parliament Speaker Cemil Çiçek following the meeting with Gül and was awarded an honorary doctorate from Ankara's Bilkent University. His term in office was inaugurated in a ceremony on Dec. 1 last year in the country's capital, Bishkek, which Gül attended to wish the new leader success.

President Almazbek Atambaev on 12 January 2012 addressed the Parliament of Turkey, the second President to deliver address after Askar Akaev in 1994. The President delivered the address in Turkish language and talked about a role of Turkey in Central Asia as well as historical and cultural ties between the Turkic countries.

President Atambaev also said speaking in the Turkish Parliament within the framework of his official visit to Turkey, "Turkey is a track star for the Turkic countries. We know how much President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan want to help Kyrgyzstan. In this regard, I offer my respects to deputies and the entire Turkish nation. History has given us one more chance to strengthen our friendship", he said.