ISTANBUL: Turkish parliament speaker Numan Kurtulmus on Sunday congratulated Uzbekistan on the 33rd anniversary of the independence of the Central Asian nation. "Happy Independence Day to our friend and brother, Uzbekistan," Kurtulmus said in a post on X account of Turkish parliament.? Trkiye was the first country to recognize Uzbekistan on Dec. 16, 1991 after the Central Asian country declared its independence from the Soviet Union on Sept. 1, 1991. Diplomatic relations between Ankara and Tashkent were established on March 4, 1992. The two countries are also members of the Organization of Turkic States. Source: Anadolu Agency