ISTANBUL

The fourth Polish-Turkish Economic Forum will begin Wednesday in Istanbul with a focus on green technologies and energy transition.

Due to the Polish presidential election in the first half of 2025, the conference will also include the EU perspective.

The conference will be organized by the Polish diplomatic missions in Türkiye as well as the Polish Investment and Trade Agency Istanbul Office (PAIH) office in Istanbul. The Foreign Economic Relations Board of Türkiye (DEIK) will be the partnering institution from the Turkish side.

The forum's first discussion will center on a broader viewpoint to investigate the potential effects of the green industry on energy and economic security. The panel will concentrate on the experiences of Poland and Türkiye, with a particular focus on the role of the EU.

Panelists will include Ambassador Zafer Ates, who is also the director general of Energy, Environment and Transboundary Waters, from Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry; and Christian Ballaro, attache, program officer for Energy and Climate Change from the EU delegation to Türkiye.

The business community will be represented by İhsan Erbil Baycol, CEO, Enerjisa Uretim; Kaan Dokmetas, CGSO, Elin Türkiye or Filiz Avsar Aktas, board member of Smart Solar Technologies.

The forum is a component of the Polish green business mission to Türkiye's Kocaeli province and Istanbul. Polish companies from GreenEvo, a Green Technology Accelerator, make up the business delegation.

"The GreenEvo is a unique governmental initiative developed since 2009 by Poland's Ministry of Climate and Environment. It supports the international promotion of Polish environmental technologies by selecting and mentoring the most promising green tech companies in Poland," according to a statement by the Polish Ministry of Climate and Environment. 

"Through expert training, certification, and foreign missions like this one, GreenEvo helps these firms expand into new markets and contribute to the global green transformation," it said.

The forum will host discussions on green technologies and energy transition with sector representatives and state officials, as well as a ceremonial signing of the Letter of Intent between a Polish and a Turkish firm to increase the two countries' cooperation.