Press remarks by Commissioner Šefčovič on the EU-Türkiye High-Level Dialogue on Trade

Good evening.

I am pleased to welcome Minister Bolat to Brussels, as we co-chair our High-Level Dialogue on Trade. We meet often at fora like the OECD and the G20 most recently but today is different – a focused meeting on the work we do together.

Türkiye is a key partner for the European Union and our trade keeps growing. Thanks to the EU-Türkiye Customs Union, it reached a record of nearly 218 billion euros in goods in 2025, while in services our trade surpassed some 40 billion euros.

Türkiye is now the EU's 5^th largest trade partner, accounting for over 4 percent of all EU trade in goods. On both sides, motor vehicles, machinery and electrical equipment lead the way.

On investment, the EU is by far Türkiye's largest investor, supplying more than half of all foreign direct investment.

Strong numbers, but we both know there is more to unlock. The interest is mutual and that is why today's talks matter – and I appreciate how productive they have been.

We began with a roundtable of EU and Turkish business representatives. Their message was clear:

They want us to go further and they strongly back modernising the Customs Union.

As part of these efforts, they seek closer cooperation on the green and digital transformations.

We hear them.

Türkiye is the only major economy with which the EU has a Customs Union. Therefore, no surprise that our businesses are so closely linked, with supply chains intertwined across many sectors.

We keep addressing the remaining trade barriers that businesses perceive as obstacles. We must – and I believe will – keep this momentum.

In this context, I am genuinely pleased to announce that we have been able to remove one important barrier related to Türkiye's import control system, TAREKS. Türkiye has implemented several transparency measures that should make the system easier for EU exporters to use.

We look forward to continuing our constructive cooperation with our Turkish partners to find solutions to the remaining technical challenges.

Another good example is the outcome for trusted traders, which also reflects the EU's and Türkiye's shared interest in safety and security. 

We have agreed a Mutual Recognition Agreement on our Authorised Economic Operator programmes, which is being published in our official journal today.

Put simply, each side now recognises the other's trusted traders. Considered safe by both, the goods cross borders faster.

This is a real step forward for smooth trade flows and customs cooperation within the current Customs Union framework. I thank everyone whose hard work made it happen.

Once again, a warm welcome to Minister Bolat and his team. I am looking forward to continuing our discussion tonight.

Thank you.