Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the committee accompanying him observed the operations of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency Directorate in Mongolia.

During his speech before the inter-committee meetings to take place in the Mongolian Parliament Building, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that the purpose of the visit was to increase the friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

Prime Minister Erdoğan said, "Mongolia considers Turkey a 3rd neighbor together with India, South Korea, Japan, the U.S. and the E.U., which is an indication of the importance placed on the friendship of Turkey."

Erdoğan pointed out that the friendship between the Turkish and Mongolian people goes back many years and added, "We wish to expand the friendship that once began on this soil. We especially see Mongolia’s consideration of Turkey as a 3rd neighbor with India, South Korea, Japan, the U.S. and the E.U. as an indication of the importance that is being placed on the friendship with Turkey.” The meeting was also attended by Deputy Prime Ministers Bülent Arınç and Bekir Bozdağ, Minister of Culture and Tourism Ömer Çelik, Minister of Finance Mehmet Şimşek, AK Parti General Deputy Chairman Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and Menderes Türel, AK Parti Group Acting Chairman Nurettin Canikli, Prime Ministry Consultant Efkan Ala and TIKA Chairman Serdar Çam.

Prime Minister Erdoğan visits the Tonyukuk Scriptures site
As part of his visit and observations in Mongolia, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited the Tonyukuk Scriptures in Ulan Batur which are among the oldest scriptures in Turkish History.

First, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan joined Mongolian President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj for breakfast. After a 1 hour breakfast meeting Prime Minister Erdoğan went to the site of the Tonyukuk Scriptures, located about 60 kilometers from the city center. He inspected the area that is under protection by TIKA and received information about the scriptures from the authorities there.

The first Turkish author, historian and statesman Tonyukuk İltiriş, also known as Bilge Tonyukuk, was chief vizier to Kapgan Kağan, İnel Kağan and Bilge Kağan and served as chief commander in the wars.
An inscription was erected in Tonyukuk’s name in the years 720-725 AD.

Culture Center opened for services
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan opened the Konya Culture Center and Mosque, both of which were built through a cooperation between TIKA and the Dosteli Foundation.

Prime Minister Erdoğan cut the ribbon for the mosque that was built in the area of Ulan Batur, an area inhabited primarily by Kazak Moslems. He was being accompanied by his wife Emine Erdoğan as well as Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç and wife Münevver Arınç and Minister of Finance Mehmet Şimşek and wife Esra Şimşek. In the short speech given by Prime Minister Erdoğan at the opening ceremony he said, ’’I bring greetings from Turkey’’ and expressed his wishes for the cultural center and mosque to be beneficial for the community. Later on, Prime Minister Erdoğan performed his Friday prayers at this mosque.

Ankara Street opened in Ulanbator
Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç opened Ankara Street in Ulanbator, the capital of Mongolia. During the ceremony organized in the Atatürk Elementary School garden located on Ankara Street, for which TIKA and the Greater Municipality of Ankara contributed landscaping and asphalt work, Arınç said "I am very proud to be here today to open Ankara Street within the scope of the visit together with our Esteemed Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan."

Deputy Prime Minister Arınç thanked the Mongolian officials who had contributed to the arrangement of the street as well as TIKA and the Ankara Greater Municipality and added "A feature of the street that we deem very significant is that it is this street where the highly prestigious Atatürk Elementary School is located. The fact that this school, which was previously called 5th School, has been named after Atatürk, the founder of our republic, is a great source of pride for us".

Deputy Prime Minister Arınç also pointed out that Turkey places great importance on making sure the name of Mongolia’s important historical character, Cengiz Han, lives on and said, "We make sure that the name of Cengiz Han lives on in our country. We have named a major street and park in Ankara after Cengiz Han. The Cengiz Han memorial in this park will remain a symbol of our lasting friendship".

Deputy Prime Minister Arınç, who explained that TIKA performs many beneficial services all over the world, added, "I would like to take this opportunity to announce that TIKA will continue to contribute to the development of Mongolia”.
After his speech, Deputy Prime Minister Arınç cut the ribbon for the opening together with the Ulanbator Governor and Ulanbator Mayor Batüül Erdene, the Çingiltei Mayor Ganbold Davaa, the principal of the Atatürk School Baast Jambaa and TIKA Chairman Serdar Çam, after having put on white gloves in the traditional Mongolian manner.

After the opening Arınç visited the Mongolian tent that was arranged in the school yard. Arınç was presented with traditional Mongolian treats.

Visits to the Bilge Kağan and Kül Tigin memorials
Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ and Minister of Culture and Tourism Ömer Çelik, visited the Bilge Kağan and Kül Tigin memorials located in the Orhun Valley museum.

Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ and Minister of Culture and Tourism Ömer Çelik, who came to Mongolia with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, went by helicopter to the Karakurum region 400km outside of Ulan Batur. The two ministers who visited the museum in the Orhun Valley, which holds the scriptures that are known as the oldest known documents of Turkish history, were greeted with great enthusiasm by the surrounding community.

After performing some local traditional music, the local community presented both Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ and Minister of Culture and Tourism Ömer Çelik with a horse as a gift.
Deputy Prime Minister Bozdağ and Minister of Culture and Tourism Çelik, who performed their Friday prayers at the prayer tent that was arranged in the museum area, later examined the scriptures that were moved to the museum that was built in 2005 in this area by TIKA, so that the scriptures would be protected from outdoor elements. Deputy Prime Minister Bozdağ and Minister of Culture and Tourism Çelik also examined the other historical remains that were found in the valley of the scriptures and chatted with the locals.
The Minister of Culture and Tourism Ömer Çelik pointed out that the Bilge Kağan and Kül Tigin scriptures, which had been exposed to outdoor elements with no protection until the year 2005, had been taken under the protection of the Turkish Republic shortly after a visit made to the area by Prime Minister Erdoğan. The Minister of Culture and Tourism, Çelik, said “This is what actual nationalism is. These memorials, which are the oldest and most important documents of Turkish history, used to be left outdoors with no protection, abandoned and exposed to the elements of nature. Pursuant to our Prime Minister’s instruction, TIKA began a special and important effort here - the works were transported to the museum. At the original sites, copies closely resembling the originals were placed. Thus the most important treasures of Turkish history were taken into protection. In addition, there also used to be no access road to this region. Today there is, a 46 kilometer long road that was built by The Republic of Turkey.’’