Kazakhstan citizens could travel to Turkic states with ID cards under Uzbek proposal

Citizens of Kazakhstan may be able to travel to member states of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) using only their national identity cards. The initiative was put forward by Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the 13th OTS summit in Ankara. According to Egemen.kz, Mirziyoyev proposed developing a multilateral agreement among five countries to ease mutual travel between citizens.

Mirziyoyev said the agreement should expand travel on the basis of identity cards and simplify border crossing and rules for staying in the host country. The initiative concerns Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan and Turkey. For the new rules to take effect, all five countries must approve the terms of the agreement and sign the relevant document.

At present, Kazakhstan citizens can travel with an identity card only to Kyrgyzstan among OTS members. Travel to Turkey, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan requires a foreign passport, although a visa-free regime exists with these countries. In September, OTS Secretary General Kubanychbek Omuraliev announced that work had begun on introducing identity-card travel among the five countries. Meanwhile, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev arrived in Turkey on an official visit to attend the summit and was met at Ankara's Etimesgut Airport by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.