Turkish PM Erdogan set to tour to Central Asia

Erdogan will pay a visit to Turkmenistan in October 3-4, 2008 upon an invitation from Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow and visit Mongolia in October 4-6, 2008 upon an invitation from Mongolian Prime Minister Sanjaa Bayar.

Matters related to relations between Turkey and Turkmenistan as well as regional and international developments are expected to be discussed during bilateral talks and talks between the delegations of the two countries.

A Turkish-Turkmen Business Council meeting will be held during Erdogan's visit to Ashkhabad, and Erdogan will also meet Turkish citizens and businessmen living and working in Turkmenistan.

Proceeding to Mongolia, Erdogan will inaugurate 46-kilometer Bilge Khan highway, Orhun Museum, Ataturk's bust, and Ankara Street.

Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA) has undertaken the construction of the Bilge Khan highway that connected Hoso Saydam and Karakurum where Orhun Monuments are situated.

The Orhun Museum was built to protect the Orhun Monuments, while Ataturk's bust was erected in front of a school named "Mustafa Kemal Ataturk" in the Mongolian capital of Ulan Bator.

Erdogan will also discuss bilateral, regional and international matters during his meetings with Mongolian executives.

The first written scripts of the Turkish language are the Orhun Monuments. They were carved on stones towards the end of the 7th and the first half of the 8th century. The Orhun monuments, which were raised first in honor of Kultigin in 732, then for Bilge Khan in 735 and for Tonyukuk in 720, are still considered masterpieces of Turkish language, literature and history with regard to their content and language.

The perfection of the language used in the records, which document the social and the political life of the Gokturk Dynasty, proves that Turkish, as a language of letters, has been in use since ancient times.