American Marconi Wireless News - Don't exclude Turkey from 'Made in Europe' plan: minister to AFP

The EU in March unveiled plans to force companies in strategic sectors like cars and clean energy to buy European if they want public money.

"Turkey must be accepted from the very beginning as an equal partner within the framework of the 'Made with Europe' concept," Bolat told AFP on Wednesday in Brussels where he met EU policymakers to urge against excluding Turkey from the plan.

"Europe's own interests -- its interests regarding production, investment, employment, and exports -- should not be harmed. Turkey's interests should not be harmed either," he said.

The EU is currently debating whether products made by some partners including nations linked to the bloc through free trade agreements, customs unions or public procurement deals, should be included.

France wants public money to go towards the EU's own industries like green tech, a position at odds with Germany and many other member countries.

Since 1995, the EU has had a customs union with Turkey, which is also a candidate to join the bloc. Annual goods trade between Turkey and the EU is worth 205 billion euros ($230 million), of which auto trade makes up 55 billion euros, Bolat said.

Demonstrating the close business ties between the two partners, Bolat pointed to European automakers' long legacy in Turkey.

The minister said nearly 75 percent of Turkey's auto production belonged to European companies and the continent's auto manufacturers have been making cars in the country since 1971.

"European automotive companies based in Turkey, as well as European automotive firms that export cars to Turkey, employ nearly 250,000 people in Europe."

Bolat warned the "Made in Europe" plan threatened to disrupt the 30-year customs union between the EU and Turkey, and the "very strong and close supply chain integration".

Turkey also adopted new public procurement rules this year, Bolat said, which means "European suppliers and Turkish suppliers can -- and will be able to -- participate in public tenders under the same, equal conditions".

P.Stevenson--AMWN