Agencies
Business leaders and officials from Germany and Turkey gathered for a major economic summit on Saturday, hailing the vitality of trade ties and illuminating the way toward enhancing the volume of goods exchange to $60 billion.
Turkey’s bilateral trade relations with Germany have achieved great successes, Turkish Ambassador to Germany, Ahmet Başar Şen, said at the 8th Turkish-German Economy Day event held in Dusseldorf by the Association of Turkish Entrepreneurs and Industrialists in Europe (ATIAD).
”We are proud of the economic vitality made possible by Turkish people in Germany ever since the 1960s, with the companies they established with large capital, as well as our young people and people with experience who created lives for themselves, working in many sectors of Europe and Germany,” noted Şen.
He recalled that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited Germany in November and his German counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, visited Turkey at the end of April.
“These visits have revitalized and elevated our political relations, as the presidents made it clear that they intend to develop further the economic relations and the political cooperation between the two countries,” he said.
“We are working and will continue to work with all our might to reach the $60 billion target for bilateral trade, as instructed by President Erdoğan,” he added.
Şen noted that the trade volume between Turkey and Germany exceeded $50 billion by the end of 2023, thanks to the efforts of businesspeople believing in free enterprise, and this success greatly contributed to the prosperity and economic growth of the two countries.Moreover, the ambassador highlighted the successes achieved in bilateral trade relations.
“The state of North Rhine-Westphalia is the largest in economic size in Germany, with 22,000 international companies operating in the region.”
“It is also one of the regions with the highest level of Turkish-German cooperation. The foreign trade volume between Turkey and North Rhine-Westphalia reached $11.34 billion alone in 2023,” he said.
He added that “850 Turkish companies invested in the region, and the highest number of companies established in 2022, calculated at 91, was Turkish, ahead of the numbers of U.S. and Chinese firms.”
Şen highlighted that the private sector needs to come together to institutionalize their unity, and it is essential for companies and businesspeople to operate and create joint projects in technology and education jointly.He also stated that updating the EU-Turkey Customs Union and removing restrictions by ensuring visa liberalization for Turkish citizens and the free movement of goods will greatly benefit both Turkish and German businesspeople.
“Turkey’s full EU membership and participation in the single market is the ultimate goal,” he said.
