Turkish business group urges Europe to revive Türkiye’s EU membership bid

Türkiye’s Foreign Economic Relations Board launched a public diplomacy campaign urging German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and other European leaders to revive Türkiye’s stalled European Union membership process, arguing that “a strong Europe is impossible without Türkiye.”

Foreign Economic Relations Board, known as DEIK, published a full-page open letter this week in the German newspaper Bild as part of the second phase of a broader initiative timed around Europe Day. The campaign follows similar appeals published in the Financial Times in January.

The board called for a “paradigm shift” after years of stalled accession talks, arguing that Türkiye’s integration into the EU’s economic security and defense architecture has become a strategic necessity amid challenges including migration, demographic change, the rapid spread of artificial intelligence and the energy transition.

The letter also described Türkiye’s full integration as essential for the EU to emerge as a global power, citing what it called Merz’s visionary approach at the Munich Security Conference.

It emphasized that the Turkish business community has long been integrated into European value chains and argued that providing a credible path toward EU membership would help restore strategic clarity and mutual trust between Brussels and Ankara.

The board also urged the urgent modernization of the EU-Türkiye Customs Union, saying it is critical to strengthening Europe’s competitiveness amid increasing geopolitical fragmentation.

Mehmet Ali Yalcindag, chairman of DEIK’s Türkiye-Europe Business Council, said the campaign would expand with similar open letters in major newspapers across France, Italy, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

“We deem the future of Türkiye-EU relations as not just an economic partnership but a strategic necessity,” he said.

Yalcindag added that the group would continue outreach efforts with universities, civil society organizations and think tanks to promote its vision among stakeholders.

*Writing by Emir Yildirim in Istanbul