A top Turkish official reiterated on Wednesday a call for the European Union to include Ankara in its new trade policies as the bloc looks to boost its competitiveness and drive strategic autonomy at a time of rising competition from China and the threat of U.S. tariffs.
Trade Minister Ömer Bolat said that the EU'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.
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 (IAA)," Bolat said on Turkish social media platform NSosyal, referring to a draft bill introduced by the European Commission in March.
The bill includes a "Made in EU" designation, which sets local content obligations requiring a specific portion of goods in public procurement and support schemes to originate from the EU or customs union partners.
Türkiye has long advocated for the need to update the decades-old customs union partnership it has with the EU, its top trading partner. The business community has also often emphasized that Türkiye's inclusion in new frameworks would benefit not only Ankara, but also the EU amid fragility and shifts in geopolitical order.
"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," Bolat noted.
He also 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 after Türkiye deployed two firefighting aircraft to Spain to help it contain the blazes.
The minister was also due to meet with his counterpart in Poland on Thursday and also meet with the businesspeople in the Central European country – also one of its important trading partners.