ANKARA

Strengthening ties between Türkiye and Spain have translated into record figures in trade and tourism, with 2025 emerging as a milestone year for economic relations between the two countries.

According to information compiled by Anadolu, shared political, diplomatic and economic objectives between Türkiye and Spain have positively influenced bilateral trade in recent years.

Increased interaction between citizens of the two countries has also drawn attention on social media, where messages highlighting “friendship” frequently reference tourism and economic cooperation.

High-level contacts in recent years have contributed to deepening bilateral relations, helping boost trade between the two countries by 29.2% in the 2021–2025 period.

Türkiye’s exports to Spain amounted to $9.6 billion in 2021, while imports from Spain totaled $6.3 billion, bringing the total trade volume to $15.9 billion.

Trade continued to grow in the following years, reaching $16.7 billion in 2022 and $19.3 billion in 2023.

Although trade volume slightly declined in 2024 to $19.1 billion, it reached a record level in 2025.

Record year for bilateral trade

Türkiye’s exports to Spain exceeded $10 billion for the first time in 2025, reaching $10.4 billion.

Imports from Spain also rose to $10.1 billion, bringing total trade volume to $20.6 billion, the highest level recorded since official data began in 2013, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat).

Spain also ranked as Türkiye’s seventh-largest export destination.

Motor vehicles accounted for the largest share of exports to Spain in 2025 at $3.05 billion, followed by knitted apparel and accessories at $1.09 billion and boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances at $927 million.

Record number of Spanish tourists

The number of Spanish tourists visiting Türkiye has also grown significantly in recent years.

While 321,325 Spanish tourists visited Türkiye in 2010, the number dropped to 54,381 in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Visitor numbers recovered in subsequent years, reaching 104,848 in 2021, 298,165 in 2022, 324,690 in 2023 and 382,896 in 2024.

In 2025, the number rose to a record 452,790 Spanish tourists.

In January this year alone, the number of Spanish visitors to Türkiye increased by 24.1% year-on-year to 24,847.

The strong performance in trade and tourism reflects the growing friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

*Writing by Merve Berker