Türkiye’s Trade Minister Ömer Bolat and European Union Trade and Economic Security Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič discussed strengthening trade and economic ties between Ankara and Brussels ahead of a high-level dialogue scheduled for Oct. 13.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the G20 Trade Ministers’ Meeting in the United States, Bolat said in a statement on social media.

Bolat said the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to developing economic and commercial relations and discussed issues affecting bilateral trade.

He said he conveyed Türkiye’s expectations regarding the EU’s draft Industrial Acceleration Act, stressing the importance of maintaining deep economic integration between Türkiye and the bloc.

The officials also discussed expanding cooperation in e-commerce, maintaining a positive agenda on public procurement and protecting Turkish exporters’ market share under the EU’s new steel measures, according to Bolat.

The Türkiye-EU High-Level Trade Dialogue is due to take place in Brussels on Oct. 13, providing a forum to address trade issues and broader economic cooperation.

Türkiye and the EU have been linked by a Customs Union since 1995, facilitating trade in industrial goods and integrating Turkish and European manufacturing supply chains. Ankara has long called for modernizing and expanding the arrangement to cover new areas of economic activity and address trade barriers. (ILKHA)