Istanbul, February 18, 2026 – The Europe Today: The Türkiye–France Joint Economic and Trade Cooperation (JETCO) meeting was held in Istanbul on Tuesday, bringing together Ömer Bolat and Nicolas Forissier to chart a comprehensive roadmap for strengthening bilateral economic and trade relations.
Hosted by the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK), the high-level meeting focused on expanding trade volume, boosting mutual investments, and enhancing cooperation across strategic sectors.
Trade Volume Surges to $24.1 Billion
Speaking at the meeting, Bolat highlighted the remarkable growth in bilateral trade, noting that the Türkiye–France trade volume has risen from $14 billion five years ago to $24.1 billion in 2025.
He underscored that mutual investments have also significantly increased. Turkish companies’ investments in France have reached $1 billion, while French investments in Türkiye have climbed to $8.7 billion.
“1,749 French companies have significant investments in Türkiye in industry, energy, services, transportation, and aviation,” Bolat said, adding that $4 billion of the total French investment flowed into Türkiye over the last four years alone.
French firms are currently discussing an additional $5 billion in new investments and projects over the next three years, he added.
Expanding Sectoral Cooperation
The delegations held wide-ranging discussions aimed at deepening cooperation not only in trade and investment but also in contracting services, joint ventures in third countries, energy, transportation, environment, water management, aviation, defense industry, and logistics.
Bolat emphasized the growing integration and value-chain cooperation between the two countries in industry and manufacturing, describing the partnership as increasingly robust and mutually beneficial.
He noted that strong collaboration already exists in key sectors including automotive, aviation, pharmaceuticals, renewable energy, textiles, food, cement, construction, information and communication technologies, tourism, finance, and insurance. Both sides expressed confidence that cooperation in these areas would expand further, with new investment initiatives under discussion.
Customs Union and Visa Facilitation
In addition to bilateral trade matters, Bolat and Forissier addressed issues concerning Türkiye–European Union relations, particularly aspects related to the customs union. Bolat said both sides were satisfied with the solutions agreed upon to resolve certain technical issues within the framework.
The French delegation also provided updates on visa facilitation. According to Bolat, France issued 163,000 visas to Turkish citizens last year — the highest number granted worldwide after China. He added that waiting times have been significantly reduced and that visa procedures have been eased, especially for students and businesspeople.
The Istanbul JETCO meeting reaffirmed both governments’ commitment to further strengthening economic integration and advancing a forward-looking partnership grounded in trade expansion, investment growth, and strategic collaboration.
