Minister Klever meets with the Turkish Minister of Trade, Ömer Bolat, to discuss the strong trade and investment relationship between the Netherlands and Turkey. Over the past five years, exports from the Netherlands to Turkey have doubled, and imports have increased by 150%. The Netherlands has been the largest investor in the country for years. Conversely, the Netherlands is the biggest recipient of Turkish investments in the EU. In addition to bilateral trade, Minister Klever discusses economic cooperation between the EU and Turkey and potential trade opportunities surrounding energy transition and the digitization of the manufacturing sector.
Minister Klever: “As Minister for Foreign Trade, I represent Dutch trade interests. A visit to Turkey fits well with this. I aim to emphasize the strong economic ties and explore new opportunities for Dutch entrepreneurs. Turkey is an important trading partner for the Netherlands, thanks to its strategic location between Europe and Asia. More than three thousand Dutch companies operate in Turkey.”
The Minister also meets with Dutch and Turkish companies to discuss the opportunities and challenges for entrepreneurs in Turkey. Turkey, being among the top twenty largest economies globally, is attractive for companies in various sectors such as ports and logistics, real estate, construction, and aviation. In recent years, the Turkish government has invested significantly in the digitization of the industrial sector, aligning well with the expertise of Dutch companies in digital technologies. Dutch entrepreneurs, particularly in artificial intelligence, can contribute to the digital transition of the Turkish industry.
Minister Klever is accompanied by Ingrid Thijssen, chair of VNO-NCW, several major Dutch companies, and some medium-sized firms. Together, they will visit MEXT, a technology center working on innovation and digitization of production processes. The agenda also includes a visit to Eliar, a research and development center for automation systems in the textile, glass, and ceramics sectors. Thanks to support from the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA), Eliar opened a new facility last year in Brainport Eindhoven.