IKV Deputy Secretary General M. Gökhan Kilit, IKV Media Avsior and EU Information Centre Coordinator Mehmet Poyrazlı, and IKV Researcher Ahmet Emre Usta participated in the “Europe Day Reception and Networking Event”, organised on 18 May 2026 by the Denizli Chamber of Industry and the Denizli EU Information Centre with the support of the EU Delegation to Türkiye to discuss recent developments on the Türkiye–EU agenda.

In his speech, IKV Deputy Secretary General M. Gökhan Kilit provided a comprehensive overview of the historical development of the Customs Union, its economic impact, the need for its modernisation and the new global challenges it faces as the most tangible and transformative dimension of Türkiye–EU relations. Deputy Secretary General Kilit noted that Türkiye has moved from a trade deficit position at the beginning of the process to becoming a net exporter in the EU market today, while trade volume has increased sixfold and exports tenfold. Recalling the chronic challenges facing the current Customs Union framework, including its asymmetric structure, exclusion from decision-making processes and transport quotas, Kilit stressed that adapting to changing global trade rules through initiatives such as the European Green Deal and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism has made the modernisation of the Customs Union, expanding its scope to include agriculture, services and public procurement, a strategic necessity.

IKV Researcher Ahmet Emre Usta analysed the implications of the Industrial Acceleration Act, adopted by the European Commission to transform industrial infrastructure and strengthen economic security, for Turkish industry. Usta explained that the legislation, which aims to increase the share of manufacturing in EU GDP to 20% by 2035, establishes a new demand architecture in public procurement and support programmes through requirements related to “Made in EU” and low-carbon criteria. While noting that the recognition of Turkish-origin intermediate goods and strategic components as EU-origin under the Customs Union represents an important gain, Usta warned that the “assembly within the Union” requirement introduced for the automotive sector poses one of the most significant risks to Türkiye’s position as a final producer and to future automotive investments.