Nadir Alpaslan, Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey, spoke at the ‘Turkmentravel – 2026’ international forum, highlighting the importance of the partnership between Turkey and Turkmenistan. This was reported by IIC.

He emphasised that relations between the two countries are based on cultural ties, shared history and language. According to him, Turkmenistan holds special significance for the Turkish people as their ‘ancestral homeland’ and a place of enduring friendly ties.

Alpaslan highlighted the role of tourism as a tool of ‘soft power’ and a form of inter-state dialogue. He added that Turkey is among the world leaders in the tourism sector and is ready to share its experience, technologies and approaches to infrastructure development.

He also highlighted projects within the framework of the Organisation of Turkic States. These included the development of modern Silk Road routes and the creation of integrated tourist itineraries linking cities across the region — from Merv to Konya and from Ashgabat to Istanbul.