Türkiye urges EU to include Ankara in new trade, industrial policies

Türkiye's trade minister said Wednesday that the European Union's emerging trade, competition, and industrial policies should be designed to include Türkiye, arguing that such an approach would strengthen the bloc's competitiveness and Europe's economic security.

Ömer Bolat made the remarks in a meeting with Spanish Economy, Trade, and Business Minister Carlos Cuerpo in Madrid to discuss bilateral economic relations, Türkiye-EU ties, and recent global and regional economic developments.

"We discussed the EU's recently implemented trade, competition and industrial policies, particularly the Industrial Acceleration Act," Bolat said on Turkish social media platform NSosyal.

"We emphasized that shaping these policies through an inclusive approach that also covers Türkiye would make significant contributions both to the EU's competitiveness and to Europe's economic security," he added.

Bolat said Spain is one of Türkiye's most important trading partners within the EU, calling the two countries strategic partners, friends, and allies.

The two also discussed Türkiye's expectations for the updating and more effective implementation of the Türkiye-EU Customs Union, which Bolat said forms the foundation of Ankara's strong economic integration with EU member states.

Public procurement was identified as another priority area that could advance economic cooperation, he said.

UPPING GOAL FOR BILATERAL TRADE

Bolat and Cuerpo agreed to hold the fourth meeting of the Türkiye-Spain Joint Economic and Trade Commission (JETCO) in Madrid this fall, with strong participation from the business communities of both countries.

Spain is Türkiye's fourth-largest trading partner within the EU, with annual bilateral trade currently totaling about $20.5 billion.

"Our goal is to increase our bilateral trade volume with Spain from $20.5 billion to $25 billion annually in the medium term," Bolat said.

He added that the longstanding friendship and strategic partnership between the two countries would continue to get stronger through innovative business initiatives and mutual trust.

During the meeting, Bolat also congratulated Spain on winning the 2026 FIFA World Cup last month and expressed Türkiye's condolences over recent wildfires in the country.

He reaffirmed Ankara's support for Spain in dealing with the fires.

Türkiye earlier deployed two firefighting aircraft to Spain to help it contain the fires.