The European Union was founded on a vision of unity, solidarity, and shared prosperity. Today, Europe faces accelerating geopolitical, economic, and technological transformation. The EU’s future competitiveness, security, resilience, and global influence will depend on its ability to pursue a more ambitious, forward-looking, and inclusive model for the next phase of European integration.
A truly comprehensive and consistent European project capable of delivering unity, security, democracy, and prosperity requires deep and strategic integration with Türkiye. As a candidate country, Customs Union partner, and NATO ally, Türkiye is already an integral part of EU’s industrial, economic, and security architecture. The highly intertwined value chains and closely interlinked production and investment ecosystems between the EU and the Turkish economy are built upon this deep structural integration. EU–Türkiye relations should move beyond fragmented and transactional engagement. A coherent and strategic framework, anchored in long-term alignment while preserving the accession perspective, should be reinstated.
EU’s ability to act as an effective global actor depends on strengthening both its political and economic cohesion and its capacity for strategic integration with its wider neighbourhood.
A clear political commitment is needed to translate the recognised strategic importance of EU–Türkiye relations into concrete action across all pillars of the EU agenda. This requires EU narratives and policies grounded in inclusion and integration, capable of strengthening EU’s coherence and credibility in an increasingly contested global environment.
A structured and actionable roadmap for EU–Türkiye relations should focus on:
- Deeper industrial and technological integration, including the full recognition of the unique legal and economic foundations of the EU–Türkiye Customs Union within “Made-in-EU” initiatives such as the Industrial Accelerator Act, including Türkiye’s full inclusion in the “Union origin” definition;
- Structured EU-Türkiye cooperation in defence, innovation, and advanced technologies, without creating new barriers, including in Horizon Europe, to strengthen Europe’s collective security, technological resilience, and innovation capacity, while supporting the reduction of capability gaps and strengthening Europe’s strategic resilience contributing to peace and stability;
- Launching the modernisation of the Customs Union without political or technical preconditions, providing the necessary legal and regulatory foundation for deeper integration and a more coherent common economic agenda;
- Stronger connectivity across transport, energy, and digitalisation linked to industrial strategy, enabling connectivity corridors to evolve into platforms for joint production that strengthen industrial capacity and resilience;
- The resumption of High-Level Political Dialogue to enhance EU-Türkiye policy coordination, the reactivation of the Association Council to strengthen regulatory alignment, and the relaunch of High-Level Dialogues on energy and transport to support the momentum in connectivity cooperation.
Together, these elements supported by continued progress in Türkiye’s economic, democratic, and social reform agenda can provide the basis for a more coherent, effective, and future-oriented EU–Türkiye integration partnership capable of strengthening Europe today while shaping its future.
Europe Day reminds us that lasting progress is achieved when vision is matched by political will and concrete action. As the business community, we remain committed to contributing to EU-Türkiye integration partnership.