Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxime Prevot stated that European companies are increasingly looking for close and reliable partners and said, "Turkey has the production capacity, industrial expertise and connections with neighboring markets that can help make Europe's supply chains more resilient."
Prevot spoke at the opening of the Türkiye - EU Business Summit held in Brussels in cooperation with DEİK and the European Business Summit. Explaining that the Russia-Ukraine war, global competition and disruptions in supply chains have made Europe's economic fragilities visible, Prevot said, "We must strengthen our industries, secure our access to basic technologies and reduce our dependence on distant suppliers. This means that we should more seriously evaluate the opportunities offered by our immediate environment."
Referring to football in his speech, Prevot said, "By giving Lukaku to Fenerbahçe, Trossard to Beşiktaş, and Mertens to Galatasaray, we benefited Turkish football, not only the economy."
Emphasizing that Turkey has a large industrial economy connecting Europe, Asia and the Middle East, Prevot pointed out that European companies are re-evaluating their production and supply decisions and said:
"Türkiye is not only an industrial partner, but also a gateway to markets in the wider region. We must take better advantage of this proximity, especially in sectors where Europe needs to reduce its strategic dependencies."
Call to the Customs Union
Prevot stated that the modernization of the Customs Union is one of the areas where progress can be made in relations and said, "The Customs Union has made significant contributions to our economies for 30 years. However, a lot has changed since its establishment." Listing economic security, defence, innovation, clean energy and digital technologies as new areas of cooperation, Prevot emphasized that the economic relationship should go beyond commodity trade and said, "Our economic relationship should no longer be limited to just buying and selling goods. We should develop, produce and invest together."
‘Made in EU’ and ‘Made with EU’
Speaking at the summit, Deputy Minister of Trade Mustafa Tuzcu said that Türkiye-EU trade volume increased approximately 10 times in the last 30 years, reaching 233 billion dollars from 23 billion dollars. Tuzcu said, "Our biggest disappointment is the pause in the modernization of the Customs Union. Although nearly ten years have passed since the European Commission requested authorization, official negotiations have still not been initiated."
Koç Holding CEO Levent Çakıroğlu emphasized that Turkey is an integral part of the EU's competitiveness. Çakıroğlu said, "Without Turkey, the industrial power of the EU will be incomplete and much weaker," and called for the redefinition of the "Made in EU" approach as "Made with EU". Stating that China's direct investments are approximately 3 billion dollars in Turkey and 117 billion dollars in the EU, Çakıroğlu said, "Therefore, Türkiye never plays a 'back door' role for the EU market."
'Many opportunities are missed'
DEİK President Nail Olpak said that the Customs Union, which has been the backbone of Türkiye - EU economic relations for more than 30 years, no longer meets the needs of the day. Olpak said, "In such a rapidly changing world, we are missing so many opportunities together. Updating the current framework will create new cooperation opportunities in the fields of services, e-commerce, public procurement and agriculture." Describing Turkey as a natural partner in Europe's green and digital transformation, Olpak said that products produced in Turkey should be accepted as part of Europe's industrial ecosystem without new quotas or obstacles. Olpak emphasized that this is critical not only for Türkiye but also for Europe's resilience and competitiveness.
