European Union–Turkey Customs Union

Turkey's EU Minister Ömer Çelik on Aug. 17 described as "unfortunate" German Chancellor Angela Merkel's remarks suggesting that Berlin would not pursue an update of the customs union with Ankara. 

Çelik said bilateral problems between the two countries should not be reflected on Turkey's relationship with the EU.

Ankara and Berlin remain split on many subjects and an expansion of the customs union deal between the European Union and Turkey will not be on the agenda in the near future, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has stated.

In view of the stark realities of today, Turkey is a long way from securing full EU membership and both sides should explore down-to-earth and "win-win" strategies to avoid one crisis after another.

Turkey on its own can help expand economic growth in the European Union, Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci said on June 20. 

"An updated Turkey-EU Customs Union agreement is most important for us," he said at a fast-breaking (iftar) dinner held by the Foreign Economic Relations Board.

An updated Customs Union agreement between Turkey and the EU would benefit both sides, Turkish Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci said on April 25.        

Turkey aims to increase annual trade volume with Hungary to $5 billion, Science, Industry and Technology Minister Faruk Özlü has said.

Turkey's agricultural sector will see a considerable and positive transformation after the country's Customs Union deal with the European Union is updated, said Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci. 

The sector will be the most challenging one in a profound update of the Customs Union based on their impact analyses, he said.

The modernization of the Customs Union deal with the European Union will increase Turkey's gross domestic product (GDP) by 2 percent by 2030 in the best-case scenario, Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci said, as reported by state-run Anadolu Agency. 

Zeybekci said the ministry conducted impact assessment analyses on four different alternatives. 

The European Commission said Dec. 21 that it has asked the European Council for a mandate to launch talks with Turkey to modernize the existing 20-year-old EU-Turkey Customs Union.

The European Parliament adopted a non-binding resolution on Nov.