Kyrgyz president taken to hospital in Turkey

By Azernews

By Gunay Hasanova

Kyrgyzstan’s President Almazbek Atambayev has been taken to a hospital in Turkey, RIA Novosti reports citing the Sozcu newspaper.

Earlier, the Kyrgyz presidential press service said Atambayev took a short vacation to undergo a medical examination.

The vacation will presumably last until October 1, 2016, the press service added.

Sixty-year old Atambayev suddenly felt ill on September 19 on the way to New York and was advised by his doctors to pass a preliminary medical exam. The exam discovered some symptoms of possible heart problems.

He had to cancel the visit to the 71st session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The Kyrgyz delegation in the UN General Assembly will be led by Foreign Minister Erlan Abdyldaev.

Almazbek Atambayev has been the President of Kyrgyzstan since December 1, 2011.

Before becoming the President he served as the Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan from December 2010 to December 2011. He created history by becoming the first peacefully inaugurated President in the post-Communist Kyrgyzstan.

Being in the presidential post, he left no stone unturned to establish the economic independence of Kyrgyzstan by strengthening trade relations with Turkey and Russia.

In 2011 soon after becoming President, Atambayev traveled to Turkey and signed an agreement with the Turkish President to increase trade from $300 million in 2011 to $1 billion by 2015, also to attract Turkish investment to Kyrgyzstan to the amount of $450 million within the next few years.

In addition, he has announced Kyrgyzstan’s entry into the Customs Union, secured the withdrawal of the American military base from the country in 2014.