President of the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK), Nail Olpak, has emphasized Türkiye’s indispensable role in Europe, particularly in light of the EU’s new “Made in Europe” initiative.
Speaking at a press conference in Istanbul, Olpak underlined that updating the Customs Union remains a top priority in Türkiye’s relations with Europe.
”The Made in Europe approach has emerged as a new agenda item. Its stated goal is to protect Europe’s industry against the Asia-Pacific region. We are not opposed to the strengthening of European industry. But Türkiye has been integrated with Europe’s industry for 30 years and has strong production capabilities,” Olpak stated.
“We cannot accept a scenario where Türkiye is excluded from this approach. Therefore, in the coming period, our most important lobbying activity in Europe will be on this issue,” he said
Outlining the roadmap for the new term, Olpak explained that DEIK has identified 33 priority countries to refine its strategies. “We selected these countries by considering both their economic weight in relation to us and their significance in the global economy,” he said.
He added, “Alongside the G20 nations, we included the countries to which Türkiye exports the most. By doing so, we have made these 33 countries a central part of our strategy.”
“From the United States to China, from Germany to Russia and from Brazil to Egypt, we have expanded our focus to a wide spectrum. For each of these countries, we have increased our responsibility to develop strategies, create projects, conduct commercial diplomacy and deliver concrete results,” he explained.
“With 2026 being declared the year of reform, we believe financial conditions and the investment climate will become more favorable, Olpak said.
