Updating Türkiye-EU Customs Union a necessity, says Bolat

ANKARA

The meeting of the Türkiye-European Union High-Level Dialogue on Trade was held in the capital Ankara on July 1.

In a speech he delivered at the event, Trade Minister Ömer Bolat said that updating the customs union between Türkiye and the EU is not a matter of choice but a necessity for both parties and a process from which both sides stand to benefit.

Updating the customs union presents a significant opportunity to strengthen relations within the framework of digitalization, trade in services, sustainable development and next-generation trade policies.

“We cannot manage the trade in 2025 with rules that were set 30 years ago,” Bolat furthered.

Since the Customs Union entered into force on January 1, 1996, Türkiye’s exports to the EU have increased tenfold, making it the bloc’s fifth largest trading partner, the minister said, adding that the EU, in turn, remains Türkiye’s number one trading partner.

Türkiye has become a key manufacturing and supply hub for the EU, Bolat noted.

Some 70 percent of foreign investments coming into Türkiye originate from European nations, generating $70 billion in export revenues annually, according to the minister.

“Today’s meeting reaffirmed that deepening our bilateral trade and economic ties is a shared priority,” Bolat said, adding that Türkiye expects to be treated as a member of the EU in key sectors such as defense, energy and construction.

Bolat also expressed that Türkiye expects concrete steps on visa liberalization from both EU member states and EU institutions.

“They stated that a new system will be introduced to enable faster visa processing, and that a comprehensive plan on this matter will soon be unveiled and put into practice,” the minister added.

“Our primary expectation is that visa liberalization will be implemented for Turkish citizens across all member states as soon as possible, in line with the existing agreements. In this context, we welcome the positive step that has been taken,” Bolat said.

For his part EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic said that the EU is Türkiye’s largest trade and investment partner.

“The growing strength of EU–Türkiye trade relations is encouraging. We are determined to further strengthen this relationship,” he added.

The bilateral trade volume between the bloc and Türkiye is expected to reach 210 billion euros ($248 billion) in 2025, underscoring the potential for even greater and deeper cooperation, Sefcovic said.