Turkish parliament head speaks to Kazakh counterpart amid unrest

The Turkish parliament speaker held a phone talk with his Kazakh counterpart on Friday amid ongoing unrest in the Central Asian country.

"Kazakhstan is our friend, our brother. We follow what's going on there as closely as what is going on in our own country," Mustafa Sentop told Nurlan Nigmatulin.

It is “quite valuable” for Turkey for peace and security to be ensured in Kazakhstan, Sentop said, adding: "Furthermore, the stability of the country is also very important for the region."

Nigmatulin thanked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and all lawmakers for their support for Kazakhstan. "You really stood by us in such a difficult time," he said.

Kazakhstan has been rocked by days of deadly protests sparked by a fuel price hike.

Demonstrations that started in the oil-rich Mangystau region on Jan. 2 spread rapidly to other parts of the country, including the commercial hub and former capital Almaty, where thousands took to the streets.

In response, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev declared a state of emergency in Almaty and the oil-rich Mangystau region, before expanding it nationwide.

Tokayev also approved the resignation of the government and requested support from the Collective Security Treaty Organization, a Eurasian alliance of former Soviet states.