NRW Premier Pledges Fast-Track Visas for Turkish Firms
Hendrik Wust, prime minister of the German state, spoke at the Türkiye-North Rhine-Westphalia Business Forum in Istanbul, jointly organized by Türkiye's Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK) and Germany's trade agency NRW.Global Business.
“For decades now, people, ideas, and investment have moved in both directions. Especially now, as international trade barriers increase and supply chains are under pressure, reliable connections are more valuable than ever.
“Our aim is to build on these strong ties and strengthen our cooperation even further.”
Wust said the state government had approved the visa fast track to cut lengthy processing times that obstruct essential face-to-face cooperation.
Customs Union, industrial policy
He endorsed efforts to modernize the 30-year-old European Customs Union and to revise EU industrial policy so it reflects how global supply chains are structured today. He called the Turkish economy an indispensable part of the European value chain.
Wust described Türkiye as a leading source of foreign direct investment and the state's third-largest trading partner. About 1,300 Turkish-owned companies, more than one in three of those operating in Germany, are based in North Rhine-Westphalia, he said.
He also pointed to Türkiye's large onshore wind market and its investment in power generation and transmission, stressing that energy prices and security are vital to the state's heavy, energy-intensive industry.
“We see that Türkiye has one of Europe’s largest onshore wind markets,” he said.
He added that the new memorandums of understanding signed at the forum could open the way to future partnerships and strengthen economic and geopolitical ties.
Berlin: implement what was agreed
Serap Guler, a state minister at the German Federal Foreign Office, reaffirmed Berlin's commitment to expanding economic cooperation and integrating Turkish industry into European supply chains.
She said about 8,600 German companies operate in Türkiye, creating more than 100,000 direct jobs. Geopolitical tensions and supply chain risks threaten competitiveness, she warned, and both countries must concentrate on implementing the agreements reached at the German-Turkish Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue in May.
Realizing the full economic potential of nearly 540 million people across the EU and Türkiye requires modernizing the Customs Union, Guler said. She stressed the need to remove tariff and non-tariff barriers, rely on rule-of-law instruments, and ensure Türkiye applies the agreement to all EU member states.
Guler added that Germany is pressing in Brussels for a “Made with Europe” approach under the EU Industrial Accelerator Act that would include key partners such as Türkiye.
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