The Turkish trade minister and the EU enlargement commissioner on Wednesday discussed updating the EU-Türkiye Customs Union, Türkiye's joint projects with the union, particularly in green transformation, and cooperation with the EU on financing.
"During the meeting, we reaffirmed our commitment to the strong continuation of the positive agenda between Türkiye and the EU," Trade Minister Ömer Bolat said via X, formerly known as Twitter, after speaking with Oliver Varhelyi, the EU commissioner for neighborhood and enlargement.
Varhelyi began Wednesday a two-day official visit to Türkiye, the first by an EU representative since the general and presidential elections this May.
"We were highly pleased with the concrete program proposed by the EU, especially regarding the facilitation of visa processes for our businesspeople," Bolat added, referring to a vexing problem for many Turkish citizens in recent months.
Saying that technical-level work on ties with the bloc will commence during Trade Working Group meetings in October, he added: "We will improve the trade and economic cooperation between Türkiye and the EU, our largest trading partner, through mutual steps."
Earlier this month, Türkiye agreed with the European Union on a road map to add further momentum to bilateral trade and economic relations in the new period, at a time when the sides are expanding dialogue to restore strained relations.
The bilateral trade between Türkiye, which maintains the role of a key economic and defense partner with the EU, reached a record high of nearly $200 billion in 2022, according to Trade Ministry data.
However, Türkiye is the only non-EU country with a customs union agreement with the bloc through the deal that was signed in 1995. The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, has long pushed for revamping the deal but failed to register any progress.
Officials have repeatedly said a more inclusive customs union would comprehensively shake up economic relations between the sides.
The current agreement between the parties only covers a limited range of industrial products and excludes agriculture, public procurement, e-commerce and services.
Türkiye has the most extended history with the union and the most prolonged negotiation process. The country signed an association agreement with the EU’s predecessor in 1964, the European Economic Community (EEC), which is usually regarded as a first step to eventually becoming a candidate.
Applying for official candidacy in 1987, Türkiye had to wait until 1999 to be granted the status of a candidate country. For the start of the negotiations, however, Türkiye had to wait for another six years, until 2005, a uniquely long process compared with other candidates.
In the wake of the stalled accession process to the union, officials including President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan have voiced hope for momentum in the process, with two sides increasing dialogue following July's NATO summit in Lithuania's capital Vilnius.
Türkiye expects the EU to show the necessary will and act more "courageously" to advance relations, said Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan during a joint press conference with Varhelyi in the Turkish capital Ankara, on Wednesday.
