Turkish President Cuts Short Kyrgyzstan Visit Over Health Issues

Turkish President Abdullah Gul (third from left) with other participants in a summit of Turkic-speaking countries outside Bishkek on August 23, before his sudden departure.

State-run media in Kyrgyzstan have reported that visiting Turkish President Abdullah Gul was forced to cut short his official trip to Bishkek because of health concerns.

The Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry was quoted as saying the Turkish president had the flu, as well as a problem with his ear.

Gul had come to the Kyrgyz capital to take part in a summit of the Turkic-Speaking States Cooperation Council.

Other leaders who took part in the summit included the presidents of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, Nursultan Nazarbaev and Almazbek Atambaev, and Azerbaijani Prime Minister Artur Rasizade.

Officials of Turkmenistan also attended as observers.

The summit was expected to focus on cooperation between the member states in the economic, cultural, and educational spheres.

Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkey established the council in 2009.

Based on reporting by Interfax and ITAR-TASS