The Foreign Economic Relations Board of Türkiye (DEİK) and the European Business Summit (EBS) will co-host the second EU-Türkiye Business Summit in Brussels on Oct. 13, DEİK has announced.
The summit, to be held at Egmont Palace under the theme “Unlocking the Potential of the EU-Türkiye Economic Partnership,” will bring together senior policymakers, business leaders and investors from Türkiye and Europe.
Expected participants include Turkish Trade Minister Ömer Bolat, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, European Commissioner for Trade Maros Sefcovic, Deputy Trade Minister Mustafa Tuzcu, Türkiye’s Permanent Representative to the European Union Ambassador Yaprak Balkan, Türkiye’s Ambassador to Brussels Barış Tantekin, DEİK President Nail Olpak, DEİK Türkiye-Europe Business Councils Coordinating Chairman Mehmet Ali Yalçındağ, EBS Chief Executive Officer Arnaud Thysen, ambassadors, senior government officials, lawmakers, think tank leaders, CEOs of global companies and more than 500 business representatives.
Olpak said Türkiye and the EU are two major economic partners with strong ties built over decades, highly integrated production and value chains, and mutual investments.
He said the Türkiye-EU economic relationship should now be assessed not only through trade volumes but also in terms of competitiveness, production capacity, investment, technology, energy and supply-chain resilience.
“We are living through a period in which trade, production and investment decisions are being reshaped globally, while competitiveness, economic security and supply chains are becoming increasingly important. We believe that in this new era, the Türkiye-EU economic partnership should be placed on a more ambitious, inclusive and future-oriented footing,” Olpak said.
Olpak described the modernization of the Customs Union as one of the most important items on the agenda, saying the nearly 30-year-old arrangement has been one of the key achievements of economic integration between Türkiye and the EU.
“We view the modernization of the Customs Union not only as a solution to existing problems but also as a strategic step that will enhance the global competitiveness of both Türkiye and Europe. As the business community, we believe it is important to move beyond dialogue and achieve tangible progress on this issue,” he said.
Olpak added that Türkieye could be a strong partner in Europe’s transformation process, citing the country’s industrial infrastructure, manufacturing capabilities, renewable energy potential, logistics links, entrepreneurial private sector and integration into European value chains.
Yalçındağ said economic ties between Türkiye and the EU rest on a strong foundation but that their full potential has yet to be realized.
“The key issue before us today is to transform this strong foundation into deeper integration. With a combined population of nearly 600 million and an economic size exceeding $20 trillion, Türkiye and the EU together could create a powerful center of attraction on a global scale,” Yalçındağ said.
He said summit participants would discuss issues that will directly shape the future of the Türkiye-EU economic partnership, adding that closer cooperation could strengthen Europe’s competitiveness, energy security, manufacturing capacity and strategic resilience while generating benefits for both sides.
