ANTALYA, Turkey 

Turkey's support for business and development areas is very helpful for the Gagauz Autonomous Region, the governor of Moldova’s autonomous Gagauzia region said Saturday.

“Our peoples are very close. We speak one language, we understand each other,” Irina Vlah told Anadolu Agency on the sidelines of Antalya Diplomacy Forum.

"Turkey has always been with us, they have helped us a lot,” Vlah said while expressing gratitude to Turkey for its support since the region gained autonomy.

Turkey has carried out projects in the region and Moldova, including building kindergartens and nurseries, she said.

Besides the Moldovan and Russian languages, she underscored the importance of teaching Gagauz Turkish in kindergartens.

"We want our children to know these languages, understand people and speak our mother tongue. That's why we need to protect our language,” she said.

She said she invited Turkish business leaders to Moldova and the Gagauz Autonomous Region every time she visited Turkey. "I think we should open new workplaces together. Gagauz people should work and win."

She expressed hope that Turkey and the Gagauz Autonomous Region will produce more projects.

Gagauzia is an autonomous region in the Eastern European country that is home to a mostly Gagauz population -- an Orthodox Christian, Turkic community.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar