Türkiye’s economic reform agenda and disinflation process are important for the country’s economic resilience, European Commissioner for the Economy Valdis Dombrovskis said Friday. Speaking at a press roundtable in Istanbul hosted by TÜSİAD, Dombrovskis said talks focused on the economic outlook, geopolitical turbulence, and steps to strengthen resilience and competitiveness. “In this regard, the Turkish government’s economic reform agenda and disinflation process are certainly important for the resilience of the Turkish economy,” he added.
SEPA and Customs Union
Dombrovskis welcomed Türkiye’s application to join the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) and said the two sides reviewed ways to deepen EU-Türkiye economic cooperation. On Customs Union modernisation, he said the European Commission needs a unanimous mandate from EU member states to begin negotiations. “That is not the case at the current stage,” he said, noting that current work focuses on a more limited technical update rather than broad-based modernisation. He also said Turkish goods’ access to industrial accelerator activities and public procurement were discussed, underlining the importance of reciprocity.
Trade and investment
The EU is Türkiye’s largest trade partner and biggest investor. As of 2025, 42.8% of Türkiye’s exports went to EU countries, while 31.7% of its imports came from the bloc. Total trade volume reached a record €218 billion in 2025, while Türkiye remained the EU’s fifth-largest trading partner outside the bloc. EU countries provided €5.34 billion in foreign direct investment to Türkiye in 2025, accounting for 66% of total foreign investment inflows. The meeting underscores the importance of continued economic cooperation amid global uncertainties.