Nursultan Nazarbayev meets residents of Turkestan
«Granting the status of the regional center to Turkestan has been in our focus from the dawn of independence. As for historical significance, the city is believed to be sacred. 21 khans are buried here; sultans and saints found eternal peace in Turkestan. After gaining independence, this ancient city has always been in our spotlight. I even thought about making it the capital of the country. However, as you know, there were no conditions for that. Now the city has become a regional center. We all know that Turkestan is the center of the entire Turkic world. Our fraternal nations Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and our brothers in the south are also happy and appreciate this step. I believe that they will help us and will make their own contribution,» said Nursultan Nazarbayev.
Elbasy expressed hope that Turkestan would turn into a large urban center in the future.
«A few years ago we celebrated the 1,500th anniversary of Turkestan. We met at this square and I promised that Turkestan would be the regional center. Last year I signed the decree on establishment of Turkestan region and on giving the status of the regional center to Turkestan,» Nursultan Nazarbayev said.
Elbasy added that 175 multi-story buildings would be built in the city. 102 of them will be commissioned in 2019.