Turkey urges EU to reform Customs Union and join industrial plans

Turkish officials are calling for significant reforms to the existing Customs Union between Turkey and the European Union to better align with modern economic realities. During a summit in Brussels, Nail Olpak, President of the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK), emphasized that the current structure, in place for over three decades, no longer meets contemporary needs. He advocated for an updated framework that includes services, e-commerce, agriculture, and public procurement.

Complementing this call for reform, Turkish Trade Minister Ömer Bolat urged the EU to include Turkey in its ‘Made in Europe’ industrial plan. Bolat warned that excluding Turkey from this initiative—which involves requirements for companies in sectors like clean energy and automotive manufacturing to use European products for public funding—could negatively impact production, employment, and trade for both parties.

Bolat highlighted that Turkey is already an integral part of European supply chains, noting that annual goods trade between the two reaches 205 billion euros, with the automotive sector alone accounting for 55 billion euros. He argued that Turkey should be recognized as an equal partner within the ‘Made with Europe’ concept to ensure regional competitiveness and resilience.