The Turkish president sent on Friday a congratulatory message to his Tatar counterpart for his election to this position.

Turkey's President Abdullah Gul congratulated Rustam Minnikhanov on his election as the president of Tatarstan.

Minnekhanov took over the mission from former president Mintimier Shaimiev in a ceremony on Thursday also attended by Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the secretary general of the
Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC).

Ihsanoglu was among the 800 guests who participated in the ceremony in Kazan, Tatarstan.

On February, 4, 2010 at the 8th session of Republic of Tatarstan's State Council deputies of state parliament delegated authorities of the President of Republic Tatarstan to Rustam Minnikhanov.

From July 10, 1998 to March 25, 2010, Minnikhanov served as the Prime Minister of the Republic of Tatarstan.

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