President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday called for deeper economic and strategic cooperation between Türkiye and Austria while urging the European Union to move forward on modernizing the Customs Union and advancing visa liberalization.
Speaking at a joint news conference with Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker, Erdoğan said the two leaders discussed the full scope of bilateral ties, as well as Türkiye-EU relations and key regional and global developments.
Erdoğan said Türkiye attaches importance to the well-being and prosperity of the Turkish community in Austria, adding that the issue was also raised during their talks.
Regarding Türkiye's relations with the European Union, Erdoğan said he conveyed Ankara's expectations to Stocker during their meeting.
"I emphasized that steps to be taken by the European Union, particularly on modernizing the Customs Union and the visa liberalization dialogue, would be in all of our interests," Erdoğan said.
The leaders also discussed regional conflicts, with Erdoğan reiterating Türkiye's commitment to Syria's territorial integrity and unity and saying Ankara values Austria's potential contribution to the country's reconstruction.
On the Middle East, Erdoğan reaffirmed Türkiye's support for a two-state solution, describing it as indispensable for lasting peace in the region.
He also stressed the importance of ensuring the uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, an issue he said Stocker also viewed with particular sensitivity.
Erdoğan added that Türkiye and Austria attach great importance to maintaining stability in the Balkans and voiced hope that the recent positive momentum in bilateral relations would continue.
Stocker, meanwhile, praised Türkiye's role in efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war and commended Erdoğan's personal diplomatic efforts toward finding a resolution to the conflict.
Pointing to growing economic ties, Erdoğan said Türkiye and Austria have maintained positive momentum in bilateral trade and expressed confidence that trade volume would reach the countries' $5 billion target this year, up from around $4 billion in 2022.
More than 1,000 Austrian companies currently operate in Türkiye, while Austrian direct investment in the country has exceeded $11 billion. Turkish investments in Austria, meanwhile, are approaching $1 billion, Erdoğan said.
"All these figures are the clearest indication of the potential between us," he said.
Erdoğan proposed establishing an Economic and Trade Partnership Committee to replace the existing Joint Economic Commission mechanism, saying the new structure could help further develop the two countries' longstanding economic relations.
He said Türkiye hopes to hold the committee's first meeting before the end of the year.
Türkiye and Austria also have significant potential for cooperation in green energy, critical minerals, high technology, transportation and the defense industry, Erdoğan said.
He particularly highlighted opportunities for strategic cooperation aimed at strengthening the Middle Corridor, a key trade and transportation route connecting Asia and Europe.