On January 30-31, 2020, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kyrgyz Republic to the Republic of Turkey Kubanychbek Omuraliev paid a working visit to Izmir.

During the trip, Ambassador Omuraliev met with the Governor of the province of Izmir Erol Aiyildyz and noted the necessity of expanding trade, economic and investment cooperation between the two countries. Issues regarding the protection of Kyrgyz citizens living in Izmir were also discussed, and a request was expressed to provide maximum assistance in their comfortable stay. The governor assured that citizens would be supported and assign the migration service to accompany the Ambassador during his meeting with compatriots.

Rector prof. Nejdet Budak provided information about graduates and students from Kyrgyzstan at the meeting at Aegean University. Ambassador Omuraliev noted the necessity of restoration and strengthening of previously existing ties with the Agrarian University and other universities of Kyrgyzstan. Kubanychbek Omuraliev together with the Deputy Head Physician of the Aegean University Hospital prof. Bilgin Arda visited a young patient from Kyrgyzstan receiving medication in this hospital.

In order to protect the rights and legitimate interests of citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic, Ambassador Omuraliev met with the Director of the Directorate for Migration of the Izmir Province of the Ministry of Internal Affairs TR Huseyin Khavuz, who provided information on the citizens of Kyrgyzstan living in Izmir.

Huseyin Khavuz informed about the presence of one representative office of the Kyrgyz Diaspora registered in the city of Antalya in Izmir and noted the absence of any negative trends in the presence of Kyrgyz citizens in Izmir province.

In order to meet with citizens of Kyrgyzstan that live in Izmir, the Municipality of Izmir provided a conference room in the City Museum and Archive named after A. Pristina. The meeting was attended by the head of the residence permit department of the Directorate for Migration of the Province of Izmir Ozgur Chandar by the request of the Embassy.

At a meeting with Kyrgyz citizens, Ambassador Kubanychbek Omuraliev informed citizens about the measures taken by the Government regarding the protection of citizens, as well as about the meetings with the Governor of Izmir Province, the First Vice-Mayor of Izmir, the Rector of the Aegean University and the Head of the Directorate for Migration of the Province Izmir.

The issues of protecting the rights and interests of citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic in Turkey, suppressing the channels of illegal employment of Kyrgyz citizens in Turkey, the rights and obligations of foreign citizens staying in Turkey were discussed in detail with the participation of the representative of the Directorate for Migration Ozgur Chandar, and the Turkish side provided answers to numerous questions, Kyrgyz citizens, including the procedure for obtaining a residence permit and work permit.

For reference: Izmir is the third-largest city in Turkey and the second largest port after Istanbul. Izmir is the administrative center of the province of the same name, located in the south-west of Turkey, on the eastern coast of the Aegean Sea, on the shores of the Gulf of Izmir. Izmir has a population of 4.3 million. The economy of the province of Izmir is based on industry, agriculture, tourism, and others. Aegean University created in 1955, the fourth in a row in Turkey.

In the 2017-2018 academic year, the number of students was over 65 thousand, the number of faculty was over 3 thousand, the number of administrative staff was over 6 thousand. In 2019, the University included 17 faculties, 9 institutes, 4 higher schools, 1 state conservatory of Turkish music, 10 professional higher schools, 6 departments at the Administration and 37 research centers.