Today, we hosted EU Commissioner Dombrovskis @VDombrovskis and our EU partners in İstanbul for the Türkiye-EU High Level Economic Dialogue.
A few key takeaways:
1. EU membership remains Türkiye's strategic objective.
2. Our partnership is already strong. Bilateral trade reached a record $233 billion last year, while two-way investment has exceeded $200 billion since 2003. We are not just trading partners. We are part of the same value chains.
3. At a time of geopolitical uncertainty, supply chain reconfiguration and intensifying global competition, closer economic integration between Türkiye and the EU matters more than ever.
4. We face the same challenges: restoring competitiveness, reducing strategic dependencies, strengthening energy security, and boosting productivity through innovation and AI.
5. Türkiye has a lot to contribute to Europe's competitiveness agenda, from new trade, energy and transport corridors to critical minerals, defense industry cooperation and reconstruction capacity. Together, these can help make Europe more resilient and more competitive.
6. In a more fragmented world, we should invest in greater integration. That is why modernizing the Customs Union is a strategic priority. Expanding it to cover services, agriculture, public procurement and digital trade could unlock around €400 billion in additional trade potential.
7. We also welcomed the proposed Industrial Accelerator Act, particularly the recognition of products manufactured in Türkiye as equivalent to those originating in the European Union. At the same time, we highlighted the need to address the remaining uncertainties, especially in the automotive sector.
8. Türkiye will also introduce amendments to its Public Procurement Law to ensure reciprocal equal treatment for EU firms in our public procurement market, further strengthening the legal foundation of our economic partnership.
9. We are also taking an important step on financial integration. Türkiye has submitted its Letter of Intent to join SEPA, the Single Euro Payments Area. Once completed, SEPA membership will make cross border payments faster, cheaper and safer for businesses and citizens on both sides.
10. We also met with the EIB, EBRD and CEB, as well as business leaders from both Türkiye and the EU through the High Level Business Dialogue. Public funding alone cannot meet tomorrow's investment needs. Mobilizing private capital at scale will be essential, and the private sector will remain at the center of this partnership.
A stable, predictable, and competitive business environment remains a key priority, supporting continued investment, production, and sustainable economic growth in Türkiye.
Stronger together. 🇹🇷🇪🇺