Turkish Deputy PM visits Gagauzia region in Moldova

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag met on Saturday Moldovan Prime Minister Lurie Leanca in Moldova, visiting the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia. As part of his official visit to Moldova, Deputy Premier Bozdag travelled to Comrat, the capital of the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia (Gagauz-Gokoguz Yeri), where he was welcomed with a ceremony and offered bread and salt according to Gagauz traditions. Extending the greetings of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Moldova's Leanca, Bozdag said the Turkish prime minister also had plans of visiting Moldova. Bozdag stressed that the bilateral abolishment of visas would contribute to the economic, social and cultural relations between Turkey and Moldova, with improving commercial relations as the priority area considering around 870 Turkish companies in Moldova, "whose number and trade volume in Moldovan trade could be increased thanks to the potential of the two countries." Promising a continued economic and social support to Moldova from Turkey, he urged for maintaning a sustained domestic stability and welfare in Gagauzia. Bozdag also attended the festival held for the anniversary of the Avdarma village's foundation along with the President of the Gagauzia Mihail Formuzal. "It is also our wish for Gagauz Turks to live forever as a part of the Moldovan Republic by protecting their identities, languages and cultures as well as their autonomy from all kinds of depreciation," he said. Addressing to the Gagauz Turks, Bozdag noted that their 76 million of Turkish brothers and sisters in Turkey were proud of their presence, highlighting that Turks in Turkey and Gagauzia were descended from the same family. After the festival, Bozdag also visited the museum, mausoleum in the village along with the Comrat State University, then opened the Ataturk Library that was built by TIKA, Turkish Cooperation and Development Agency.