Turkey's president interviews with Kazakh journalist

ASTANA (A.A) - December 15, 2011 - Turkey's president interviewed on Thursday with a Kazakh journalist on the 20th anniversary of independence of Kazakhstan. President Abdullah Gul spoke to a representative of "Habar" TV channel and interviewed for a book named "Kazakshtan-2011", which will be published on the 20th anniversary of Kazakhstan's independence.  In the interview, Gul underlined Kazakhstan's importance for Turkey, and said the two countries were in solidarity since the day Kazakhstan gained its independence. "Turkey, which was the first to recognize Kazakhstan's independence, is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its establishment," Gul said. Gul said the Turkic Speaking Countries Cooperation Council was founded with initiatives of Kazakhstan and Turkey, Turkish Academy was established in Astana, and Turkic Speaking Countries Parliamentary Assembly was set up in Baku. President Gul said Turkish-Kazakh trade volume was 3 billion USD in 2008, but fell to 1.7 billion USD in 2009 due to global economic crisis, but again rose to 3.2 billion USD in 2010.  "In the first eight months of 2011, our trade volume was 2.7 billion USD. We have a common goal to raise trade volume to 10 billion USD," Gul said. Gul said Kazakhstan was a prior country for Turkey in regard to construction and contracting, adding that Turkish contractors had undertaken construction projects worth 15 billion USD in Kazakhstan. (Reporting by Isa Yildiran) (BRC-HHK)