Turkish Parliamentary Speaker Mustafa Sentop, who is currently leading a delegation to Ulaanbaatar has held a meeting with Mongolian President Kh.Battulga.  The meeting, which was held behind closed-doors, took place at the presidential palace on 29 July

Earlier that day, speaking at an inter-committee meeting in the Mongolian capital, Sentop termed their bilateral ties as excellent. “We celebrate the 50th anniversary of our diplomatic relations that, based on friendship, may continue thousands of years,” Sentop said.

“Our friendship and relations, based on this common history and legacy left by our ancestors, will overcome all kinds of difficulties,” he later said at a joint news conference with his Mongolian counterpart G.Zandanshatar. “What we need to do take out bilateral relations in every field to the highest level by benefiting from this historic background,” he added.

Sentop also revealed that a parliamentary assembly, composed of Turkish-speaking countries and countries which have common roots, is on the cards. He went on to say that the state-run aid group, Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) has so far, undertaken more than 600 projects in Mongolia and continues its efforts.

In regards to the fight against the Gülenist Terrorist Group (FETO), he said: “I’ve gladly seen that we are on the same page [with Mongolia] on FETO.”

“We would not to allow FETO, a heinous terrorist group, poison our relations with Mongolia,” he noted. FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured. FETO was also behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.

In response, the Mongolian parliamentary speaker said we should regard Turkey as a “third neighbour” of Mongolia. Mongolia wants to boost economic cooperation with Turkey, particularly in tourism, G.Zandanshatar said.

He also expressed his commitment to rooting out FETO-linked schools from the country. “We are carrying out every kind of work against these schools operating in Mongolia.”