Turkish and European business leaders have urged the European Union to reopen the path to Türkiye’s membership bid, modernize the EU-Türkiye Customs Union and deepen cooperation in an open letter addressed to EU leaders.
The letter, prepared by the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK) Türkiye-Europe Business Councils, was signed by the heads of business councils from 26 EU member states and addressed to EU leaders, and was also published by Financial Times.
"Giving Türkiye a clear and unambiguous perspective on becoming a member of the EU and reaffirming that Türkiye and the EU’s future lies within each other would restore strategic clarity and mutual confidence," the letter said.
DEİK President Nail Olpak stated that Türkiye and the EU remain deeply intertwined, adding that the issue is not limited to customs union modernization but also relates to Türkiye’s place in Europe’s broader ecosystem.
Referring to the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, Olpak said such steps risk becoming “new walls” for integrated supply chains if the relationship is not updated in a comprehensive way.
He also pointed to the impact of the EU’s free trade agreements with third parties — including the Mercosur bloc and India — arguing that arrangements that leave Türkiye outside can create asymmetric costs for Turkish industry and, ultimately, for European chains as well.
Olpak noted that DEİK would continue its outreach efforts in the coming months, while DEİK Türkiye-Europe Business Councils Coordinator Chair Mehmet Ali Yalçındağ stated that the business councils aim to achieve tangible results in 2026, including through planned engagements in Brussels later this year.
The letter’s central call, DEİK said, is for the EU to adopt a strategic approach, with accelerated steps to update the customs union, address structural bottlenecks affecting mobility and trade and create a stronger, more predictable basis for cooperation.
