Mucahithan Avcioglu
16 July 2026•Update: 16 July 2026
Türkiye has called for its full and unconditional inclusion in the EU’s Made in EU policy, Trade Minister Omer Bolat said Thursday following talks with European automotive industry representatives in Brussels.
Bolat said on the Turkish social media platform NSosyal that he met Sigrid de Vries, director general of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), to discuss the policy and its potential effects on the Türkiye-EU automotive ecosystem.
He also attended a roundtable meeting with representatives of the association's member companies.
During the meeting, the Turkish side emphasized that investments made by European automakers operating in Türkiye for many years constitute a concrete indication of the deep industrial integration established through the Türkiye-EU Customs Union and a partnership based on mutual trust.
Bolat said automotive industry representatives agreed on the need for Türkiye to be fully and unconditionally included in the Made in EU framework.
“We were pleased to see consensus among automotive sector representatives on Türkiye’s full and unconditional inclusion in the ‘Made in EU’ policy,” he said.
Bolat added that Türkiye would continue its initiatives, with the support of the private sector, to strengthen and further develop the automotive industry, which he described as a cornerstone of the country’s commercial integration with the EU.
Türkiye’s automotive industry remained the country’s leading export sector in 2025, with overseas sales rising 11.6% to a record $41.5 billion, according to the Automotive Industry Exporters’ Association.
Exports to EU countries totaled $30.11 billion, accounting for 72.5% of the sector’s overall exports and underscoring its integration with the European market.
Türkiye produced nearly 1.42 million motor vehicles in 2025, including about 872,500 passenger cars, according to the Automotive Manufacturers Association.
Passenger car exports totaled nearly 599,700 units during the year.
