Today, Valdis Dombrovskis, Commissioner for Economy and Productivity, Implementation and Simplification, and Marta Kos, Commissioner for Enlargement, met with Mehmet Şimşek, Turkey’s Minister of Treasury and Finance, in Brussels for a High-Level Economic Dialogue (HLED) between the European Union (EU) and Turkey. This HLED, the first since 2019, provided an opportunity to assess the EU-Turkey economic and financial relations and explore ways to strengthen them.
This meeting aligns with the Joint Communication to the European Council regarding the state of EU-Turkey political, economic, and trade relations from November 2023. It supports a broader effort to enhance EU-Turkey cooperation, as called for by European leaders in April 2024. Given significant geopolitical shifts, the HLED is vital for reflecting global developments.
The dialogue also allowed for a candid exchange of views, during which the EU expressed concerns about the recent arrests and detentions of elected officials, civil society members, and media representatives in Turkey. Vibrant democracies and adherence to the rule of law are essential for maintaining international investor confidence and ensuring macroeconomic stability.
As an EU candidate country and a longstanding member of the Council of Europe, the EU emphasised that Turkey is expected to uphold the highest democratic standards and practices. This expectation aligns with the Joint Statement issued in March 2025 by High Representative/Vice-President Kaja Kallas and Commissioner Kos following recent events in Turkey.
The discussions at the HLED focused on the economic outlook and the latest policy developments, highlighting the long-term reform challenges facing both the EU and Turkey. Turkey’s structural reform agenda aims to improve productivity and drive sustainable economic growth, as outlined in its Economic Reform Programme (2025-2027), amidst an increasingly complex and unpredictable global environment.
Topics also included strengthening competitiveness, enhancing Turkey’s investment climate, and improving the coordination of European and International Financial Institutions (IFIs) in the country, including an update on the Türkiye Investment Platform (TIP).
A significant part of the event was a Business-to-Business Dialogue, which took place in the afternoon. This session allowed representatives from the European and Turkish business communities and the IFIs involved in the TIP to meet and discuss how the EU and Turkey can enhance competitiveness, support the green transition, and strengthen economic, financial, and investment ties, particularly in improving access to long-term sustainable financing for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
“The EU will deepen relations with partners for win-win economic cooperation and to defend democratic values. Today’s economic dialogue with Türkiye opened an important channel of communication for constructive and frank exchanges,” Valdis Dombrovskis posted on X.
EU and Turkey representatives agreed to reconvene next year in Turkey to continue their collaboration in critical economic areas while maintaining open and constructive communication on mutual challenges and opportunities.
