For 2024, the trade exchange between Bulgaria and Turkey amounts to 7.8 billion USD. What both countries are working hard on is for it to reach 10 billion USD in the next 2-3 years. "We have strong cooperation in energy and transport. For Turkey, Bulgaria is a door that opens to Europe and the Balkans and is therefore a valuable neighbor, and Turkey is a door for Bulgaria that opens to the east of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Therefore, the two countries complement each other geographically. They have an important cosmopolitan and geostrategic position". This was stated by Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat during the first event in Bulgaria organized by the Turkish Exporters' Assembly (TIM), in cooperation with the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) and the Bulgarian-Turkish Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BULTISAD) and with the support and coordination of the Trade Counselor of the Turkish Embassy in Sofia.
Over the past 22 years, the Turkish economy has grown sixfold, with the national income reaching 1.32 billion USD. Energy, logistics, spare parts, metals, machinery and agricultural products stand out in the foreground.
Minister Bolat also emphasized the key role of the five GPKKs that Turkey has with Europe and the fact that 3 of them are on the Bulgarian-Turkish border, which also contributes to more intensive trade relations between the two countries.
No less intensive are the investments in the "Construction" sector that Turkey is implementing abroad. Currently, Turkish companies are implementing over 12,000 projects in 130 countries. Of these, 84 have already been implemented in Bulgaria. Their total value is 2.2 billion. USD.
Turkish TV series can be safely said to already occupy a key place in Turkey's foreign economy. Over 1 billion people worldwide watch them every day. In Bulgaria alone, 148 TV series filmed in our southern neighbor have been shown so far.
Turkey is visited by 3 million Bulgarians annually. "Turkish tourists also want to visit Bulgaria, but Schengen visas create difficulties. For us, Bulgaria remains a gateway to Europe, to the Balkans, and we hope that more Turkish tourists will be able to visit Bulgaria in the next period," concluded the Turkish Minister of Trade.
Minister Bolat did not fail to note the development of the energy sector and the fact that Turkey is a bridge for the supply of natural gas to Bulgaria. He hopes that trade in the sector will increase significantly after the end of the war in Ukraine.
Work is also underway to develop the trade dialogue between Turkey and the EU. The high-level negotiations were set to begin in 2024 in Brussels, and a new meeting is expected in June this year in Istanbul.
Exports from Bulgaria to Turkey amounted to 6.7% of our country's total exports for 2024. "These data are evidence of the significant growth potential that exists in trade cooperation between the two countries", said the Minister of Economy and Industry, Petar Dilov. He emphasized that our southern neighbor is among Bulgaria's leading and key foreign trade partners. "The two countries have very good neighborly and partnership relations. The geographical proximity and potential of the Turkish economy and market predetermine the high economic activity among business representatives".
The bilateral trade in goods for 2024 amounts to 7.7 billion EUR. This is a growth of 15% compared to 2023.
Minister Dilov emphasized the importance of Turkish companies that have decided to invest in our country. They are in sectors such as transport and energy infrastructure, housing construction, commercial and office buildings, glass industry, production of parts and details for the automotive industry, production of aluminum products, food, textile and chemical industries.
Minister Dilov hopes that today's bilateral meetings between Bulgarian and Turkish companies, which will be held throughout the day in Sofia, will outline the challenges facing the economies of the two countries, while at the same time highlighting the opportunities for overcoming them and deepening mutual cooperation.
Over 12,000 is the number of Turkish companies that exported to Bulgaria last year. The data was presented by the head of the Assembly of Turkish Exporters, Mustafa Gultepe. Over the past 10 years, we have been reporting continuous growth in exports from Turkey to our country. Proof of this is the fact that Bulgaria is in 13th place among the countries to which Turkey exports. In 2024, exports reached 5.2 billion USD, with 16 sectors managing to increase their exports to our country.
The Turkish Exporters' Assembly unites 61 exporter associations operating in 27 sectors in the country. It represents over 150,000 exporters. "We prepare our exporters for the future by creating macro and sectoral strategies", explained Gultepe.
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the BCCI, Tsvetan Simeonov, stated that for the BCCI, an event of such a scale is of particular importance because Turkey is among our main partners. He pointed out that in their voluntary register there are currently 2,555 Turkish companies with participation or 100% owned by Turkish capital and over 1,700 trade representations.