Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır spoke at the Turkey Science Communication Summit held in Ankara, on Oct. 14, 2026. (AA Photo)
Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır on Oct. 14 called for closer financial cooperation with the European Union to support industrial investment, cleaner production and digital technologies.
Speaking in Ankara, Kacır said future funding arrangements should reflect Türkiye’s EU candidate status and its integration into the European economy.
Ankara was following preparations for the EU’s Global Europe instrument and European Competitiveness Fund for the 2028–2034 budget period, he said.
Kacır was addressing the closing conference of the Competitive Sectors Program’s second phase, jointly financed by his ministry and the EU.
Under IPA II, the second phase of the EU’s Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance, about 260 million euros supported 43 projects in 23 provinces.
Projects established research, digital transformation, testing and shared production facilities.
The facilities gave more than 1,000 small and medium-sized enterprises access to advanced technology. More than 200 products and prototypes were developed, with 40 products commercialized and 40 patents registered, he said.
Kacır said 5.7 million euros in planned EU support for the Türkiye Industrial Decarbonization Investment Platform would help attract further financing to reduce industrial emissions.
