Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

Stating that they are happy with Spain's support in Turkey's European Union membership process, Yavuz stated that the continuation of this support will contribute to the European Union as well as bilateral relations.

Stating that as TOBB, they see the green deal as the key to the positive agenda in Turkey-EU relations, Yavuz said, “The modernization of the customs union with the green deal will support each other. Success in this area will bring benefits for the business world both in Turkey and in the EU.”

Pointing out that the scope of trade between Turkey and Spain is diversifying, Faik Yavuz said, “Spain has made direct investments of over 7 billion dollars in Turkey. Spanish companies have invested in the future of Turkey. More than 600 Spanish companies operate in Turkey. We are pleased to see that Turkish companies have also shown interest in Spain in recent years. Around 150 of our companies operate in various sectors in Spain. We also have important collaborations in the tourism sector.”

Emphasizing that as TOBB, they attach great importance to the development of bilateral commercial and economic relations with Spain, Yavuz continued: “TOBB President Mr. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu was awarded the Medal of Civil Merit of Spain by His Majesty King Felipe the 6^th of Spain. We are working intensively to further develop our trade and economic relations with Spain. We will continue to increase our bilateral trade. We will further grow our trade volume, which is around 16 billion dollars. We will bring new actors to foreign trade. We want more companies to trade mutually. In the same way, we will continue to work for the increase of our mutual investments. We are working closely with the Spanish Chamber of Commerce on this issue. I have no doubt that we will reap the fruits of this cooperation in the coming period.”

Ahmet Burak Dağlıoğlu, Head of the Presidential Investment Office, stated that 10 billion dollars of Spain-based investment has come to Turkey in the last 20 years, and said that according to their records, there are over 700 Spanish companies in Turkey.

Emphasizing that Turkey has a fast-growing and resilient economy, Dağlıoğlu said, “We can show this with many statistics. From 2003 to last year, Turkey's average annual growth rate is 5.4 percent. This is a high rate compared to many competing countries. We have come out of all the crisis years of the past, the US-centered crisis in 2008, the European debt crisis of 2012-2013 and the pandemic-induced global crisis, all of which have been recovered in a V-shaped way. We have seen this in the growth rate, export growth and international direct investment inflows.”

Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK) Turkey-Spain Business Council President Zeynel Abidin Erdem said that Spain stands by Turkey in the international platform by supporting it in every field.

Emphasizing that Spain provides ease to Turkey in visa matters, Erdem said, “Our trade with Spain, which has reached 15.9 billion dollars, is evenly distributed. For $7 billion, they sell us goods. We sell them goods for close to 7 billion dollars. This is a balance that is rarely seen in the European Union (EU),” he said.

Mehmet Ali Kılıçkaya, General Director of Exports at the Ministry of Trade, stated that trade between the two countries continued to grow in the five months of this year and said, “While Covid-19 and the military crisis in our region disrupted the stability of production and logistics and adversely affected the functioning of global value chains, companies began to review their production plans and restructure. During the pandemic, producers in the EU have diversified their suppliers by choosing from local and nearby regions. In this sense, Turkey has come to the fore with its production and logistics capacity.”

Spain's Ambassador to Ankara Francisco Javier Hergueta Garnica emphasized that Spain and Turkey have very strong bilateral relations, especially in the field of economy, and said, “Turkey has become one of the fastest growing economies in the world in recent years and has gradually become a strategic partner for Spain.”

Pointing out that Turkey is a multifaceted country and that a long-term vision is needed, especially in terms of investment, Garnica said that throughout the day, panels will be held to share information about the opportunities offered by his country in various fields.

Garnica said he hoped these panels would be very fruitful and that the embassy was ready for the necessary cooperation with all companies.

Spanish Institute of Exports and Investments (ICEK) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Maria Pena said that in 2021, Turkey's bilateral trade with her country grew by 30 percent, which shows the excellence of trade relations between the two countries.

Stating that two major Spanish companies are investing in Turkey in 2022, Pena said that the future of Turkish-Spanish relations is promising. Pena underlined that investment projects in Turkey are very important.

Following the speeches, panels on potential investment areas between the two countries were held.