IKV, in cooperation with the Polish Embassy in Ankara and on the occasion of Poland’s EU Presidency, organised a conference on 30 May 2025 entitled “Türkiye-Poland-EU Relations in an Era of Geopolitical Turbulence: Connectivity, Supply Chain Security and Resilient Economies.”

The opening speeches of the meeting were delivered by IKV Chairperson Ayhan Zeytinoğlu, Polish Ambassador to Ankara Maciej Lang, Head of the EU Delegation to Türkiye Ambassador Thomas Hans Ossowski, and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and EU Ambassador Mehmet Kemal Bozay.

In his speech, IKV Chairperson Ayhan Zeytinoğlu stated that IKV attaches strategic importance to Poland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, adding that this is particularly significant due to the deep-rooted relations between Türkiye and Poland, Poland’s dynamic role within the EU, and the increasing geopolitical turbulence in the world. Chairperson Zeytinoğlu stated that membership is the best framework for Türkiye’s integration with the EU and emphasised that the Cyprus issue should not be an obstacle to the progress of Türkiye-EU relations, including the updating of the Customs Union. Chairperson Zeytinoğlu emphasised that Türkiye plays an important role in EU supply chains and the European market and stated that updating the Customs Union in line with the green and digital agenda would boost bilateral trade and investment. Additionally, Chairperson Zeytinoğlu noted that the Turkish business community and young population aspire for stronger integration with the EU, highlighting the importance of resolving visa process issues and achieving visa liberalisation. Chairperson Zeytinoğlu concluded his remarks by emphasising that Türkiye-EU cooperation should be deepened not only in economic areas but also in various fields such as security, defence, transportation, and energy.

In his speech, Poland’s Ambassador to Ankara Maciej Lang stated that both the EU and Türkiye are facing unprecedented challenges in a rapidly changing geopolitical environment. Highlighting the importance of friendships and secure supply chains in such times, Ambassador Lang emphasised that Poland has made security a priority issue during its Presidency of the Council of the EU. Stating that Türkiye is not only a strategic partner for the EU but also a candidate country, Ambassador Lang said that Poland strongly supports Türkiye’s EU accession process and believes that this process will yield positive political and economic results for both sides. Noting that Türkiye and Poland can deepen their cooperation in the areas of diversification of energy sources, modernisation of infrastructure, and strengthening of trade and supply chains, Ambassador Lang said that connectivity is now shaped not only by technical infrastructure but also by people, policies and shared values.

In his speech, Head of the EU Delegation to Türkiye Ambassador Thomas Hans Ossowski stated that Russia’s aggression towards Ukraine has highlighted Europe’s need for strategic autonomy and strong defence. Ambassador Ossowski said that Türkiye, as both an EU candidate and a NATO ally, is an important strategic partner in this process. Noting that economic relations between Türkiye and the EU are balanced and strong, Ambassador Ossowski stated that updating the Customs Union would serve the interests of both sides. Expressing their satisfaction with Türkiye’s humanitarian efforts in the Middle East and its support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, Ambassador Ossowski emphasised that progress is also expected in the areas of the rule of law, human rights and media freedom in Türkiye-EU relations. Ambassador Ossowski stated that progress could be made if the remaining criteria in the visa liberalisation process were met, and that Türkiye was the only candidate country without visa-free travel rights and that this situation needed to change.

In his speech, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Head of the EU Delegation Ambassador Mehmet Kemal Bozay emphasised that the strategic importance of Türkiye-EU cooperation has increased even further in today’s uncertain geopolitical environment. Ambassador Bozay stated that these uncertainties require stronger and more results-oriented cooperation in areas such as security, connectivity and supply chain resilience, adding that Türkiye plays a critical role in European supply and value chains and makes significant contributions to European production lines. Ambassador Bozay emphasised that Türkiye’s full inclusion in EU defence and security initiatives is in the mutual interest of both Türkiye and Europe.

The speakers in the special address section of the meeting were Deputy Director General of the Economic Cooperation Department at the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Rafal Hryniewiecki, and Director of the European Neighbourhood Council Samuel Doveri Vesterbye.

In his speech, Deputy Director General of the Economic Cooperation Department at the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Rafal Hryniewiecki emphasised that Türkiye is an important partner for Europe in terms of security, supply chain resilience and energy diversification. Noting the need to deepen Türkiye’s strategic dialogue with the EU, Deputy Director General Hryniewiecki drew attention to the importance of Turkish companies participating in joint projects with Polish firms in the reconstruction of Ukraine. He also stated that Türkiye has the potential to cooperate with Europe in the areas of energy transition, infrastructure development, and the digital economy, and expressed Poland’s support for Türkiye’s more active involvement in EU initiatives.

In his speech, Director of the European Neighbourhood Council Samuel Doveri Vesterbye shared the findings of their research on connectivity and the Türkiye-EU Customs Union. Noting that the importance of the Middle Corridor has increased after the war in Ukraine, Vesterbye stated that this corridor between Europe and Asia will play an important role in trade and investment flows in the future. Vesterbye emphasised that the existing Customs Union between Türkiye and the EU is of critical importance for both sides in terms of economic growth and supply chains and said that modernising this structure would bring significant economic gains for both sides. He also pointed out that any delay in modernisation or weakening of the Customs Union could have a negative impact on both European and Turkish industry.

The first panel discussion, moderated by IKV Vice Chairperson Prof. Halûk Kabaalioğlu, was titled “Green and Digital Transformation in the EU Single Market and Its Impact on Supply Chains.”

The first speaker of the panel, Head of the Türkiye, Caucasus and Central Asia Department at the Centre for Eastern Studies Karol Wasilewski, emphasised that Europe needs a three-pronged transformation in terms of energy, digitalisation and production in its current transformation process. In this context, he stated that there is a wide area of cooperation in which Poland and Türkiye can work together. Wasilewski stated that the two countries face similar challenges in terms of energy dependencies, fair transformation approaches, and the need for new economic development models. He also stated that Türkiye is an important partner in the restructuring of supply chains and the modernisation of the Customs Union in Europe. He emphasised that Türkiye’s stronger integration with the EU will play a critical role, particularly in future production structures and the harmonisation of standards and called for the development of innovative cooperation models between the two countries.

The second speaker on the panel, Director of the COPFUTUREU Jean Monnet Module at Istanbul University Prof. Özgün Erler Bayır, emphasised that green and digital transformation play a central role in Europe’s future and in Türkiye-EU cooperation. Noting that the EU lags behind the US and China in global competition in areas such as digitalisation and artificial intelligence, Prof. Bayır drew attention to the importance of the Digital Decade and Digital Europe programmes developed to close this gap. He also stated that the EU’s digital and green transformation policies should be people-centred and inclusive. Prof. Erler Bayır stated that there are new opportunities for cooperation between Türkiye and Poland in the fields of renewable energy, smart cities, logistics and energy security, and suggested that joint research centres focusing on these areas be established between the two countries.

The final speaker of the panel, Director of the Application and Research Centre for Innovation and Competition-Oriented Development Studies at Boğaziçi University’s Department of International Trade Assoc. Prof. Aslı Deniz Helvacıoğlu, emphasised that the EU’s new green and digital transformation policies require Turkish companies, especially SMEs, to make significant adjustments. She stated that it is inevitable for Turkish companies trading with the EU under the Customs Union to comply with the new regulations. She also stated that this new regulatory environment has created a strategic decision-making moment for Turkish companies; companies that want to enter the EU market must transform their business practices and integrate sustainability, human rights and green finance criteria into their business processes.

The second panel of the conference, titled Connectivity and Wider Neighbourhood: Areas of Cooperation Between Türkiye and Poland, was moderated by Karol Wasilewski, Head of the Türkiye, Caucasus, and Central Asia Department at the Centre for Eastern Studies.

The first speaker on the panel, Director of the Polish Investment and Trade Agency’s Istanbul Office Joanna Snopek Berbercioğlu highlighted the practical aspects of bilateral cooperation between Poland and Türkiye. She stated that the agency’s main objective is to establish direct links between Turkish and Polish entrepreneurs, create synergy in the areas of trade and investment, and encourage joint venture projects. Berbercioğlu emphasised that cooperation opportunities between Turkish companies and Poland in the fields of green technology and advanced manufacturing are rapidly increasing, noting that Turkish entrepreneurs are turning to advanced technology and renewable energy and that Poland is open to developing strong partnerships as a solution and technology provider in this transformation process.

The second speaker at the panel, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board of the International Transporters Association Evren Bingöl drew attention to Türkiye’s strategic role in the international road transport and logistics sector. Noting that the Turkish States Transport Associations Union initiative, established under Türkiye’s leadership, contributes to the development of the Middle Corridor, Deputy Chairman Bingöl said that this route aims to connect Europe and Central Asia more quickly and reliably. Emphasising that Türkiye’s various major infrastructure projects are in line with the EU’s Global Gateway strategy, Deputy Chairman Bingöl said that transit quotas, visa restrictions and bureaucratic obstacles at border crossings on the European side slow down transport and increase costs.

The third speaker on the panel, Coordinator of the Connectivity and Regional Integration Programme at the Centre for Eastern Studies Konrad Poplawski emphasised that infrastructure investments and connectivity play a critical role in increasing economic resilience in today’s geopolitical environment. He noted that the Middle Corridor and the routes opening up to Central Asia via Türkiye have gained importance for the EU and Poland. Poplawski stated that Türkiye’s membership in the Three Seas Initiative offers great opportunities in this context and that the development of railway infrastructure is also very important for sustainable transportation in the long term. He also noted that Türkiye’s industrial and defence industry policies are inspiring for Poland, and that joint projects and ventures can be developed in these areas.

Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ulus Metal Ragıp Tunalılar, a Turkish company investing in Poland, mentioned the Schengen visa issue as one of the main challenges they face in their operations as a company investing in Poland from Türkiye. He stated that even Turkish managers and technical staff have great difficulty obtaining visas to travel to Poland and that sometimes it is even impossible to get an appointment. He also stated that Türkiye has a competitive advantage in energy prices, but that high energy and distribution costs in Poland negatively impact economic activities. On the other hand, he mentioned that more joint ventures and investments could be made with Poland in the defence industry and railway sectors, where Türkiye is strong.