By Gokhan Yildiz and Emir Yildirim
ISTANBUL (AA) - German companies view Türkiye as a large domestic market and a strategic production and supply hub with access to Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia, according to the president of the German-Turkish Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AHK Türkiye).
Bige Yucel told Anadolu that around 8,250 German companies operate in Türkiye across sectors including industry, automotive supply, machinery, energy, logistics, and digital infrastructure, citing data from the Turkish Industry Ministry.
She said Türkiye’s young and skilled workforce, along with its strong industrial infrastructure, are the main factors driving German business interest. Yucel noted, however, that Turkish investors face challenges in accessing finance in the German market.
“We aim to facilitate the process for Turkish firms in Germany to access finance through cooperation with German credit institutions,” she said.
Yucel said AHK Türkiye’s priorities this year include green transformation and energy, digitalization and industrial policies, competitiveness and production costs, skilled labor and vocational training, and strengthening the investment environment.
She added that increased high-level mutual visits between Türkiye and Germany in recent months signal a positive momentum in economic relations, pointing to deeper political dialogue, trade, investment, and industrial cooperation.
Yucel said the chamber is also working with other bilateral chambers in Türkiye on relations with the European Union, including efforts to modernize the Customs Union.
“We released a joint paper on this issue with TOBB (Türkiye’s Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges) and TEPAV (The Economic Policy Research Foundation),” she said.
She noted that the EU has accelerated its industrial policy efforts and that AHK Türkiye is analyzing how these policies affect Turkish industry and Türkiye-EU supply chains, with the aim of positioning Türkiye as a complementary partner in Europe’s evolving industrial architecture.
“Germany has been one of Türkiye’s key trading partners over the years, and economic relations remain strong due to robust industrial ties and mutual investments,” Yucel said. “In 2024, the trade volume between the two countries reached around $50 billion, while the figure totaled $30 billion in January-July 2025. The full-year volume is expected to range between $48 billion and $52 billion.”
She said the growing share of green- and digital transformation-focused products and services has made Türkiye–Germany economic relations more sustainable and resilient. Trade volume is mainly driven by the automotive and automotive supply industries, machinery and production technologies, energy, and chemicals.
Yucel also highlighted that rising rail infrastructure investments in Türkiye have enabled German companies to expand their presence and create a solid foundation for long-term, high value-added partnerships with Turkish firms.
- Türkiye holding COP31 to raise business focus on green transition
Yucel said the UN Climate Change Conference, COP31, will be held in Türkiye this year, placing green transformation and sustainable industry policies more firmly on the business agenda.
“Climate policies such as carbon pricing, the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, green financing, and compliance costs have become decisive in trade,” she said.
She added that the green transition is a core component of competitiveness shaping the future of trade and industry, making COP31 a strategic turning point for trade, investment, and industrial policy discussions.
“We aim to organize business meetings focused on green transformation and energy in parallel with COP31,” Yucel said.
She also said AHK Türkiye is aware of visa and processing difficulties faced by Turkish businesspeople traveling to Germany and aims to ease business travel through the Business Fast Track program, which she said would contribute to further growth in bilateral trade.