German premier urges EU-Türkiye Customs Union reform

The premier of Germany's North Rhine-Westphalia state, Hendrik Wust, on Tuesday called for urgent reform of the EU-Türkiye Customs Union and improvements to visa procedures, citing his state's historically deep economic and social bonds with Ankara.

"No region is as closely connected to Türkiye socially and economically as North Rhine-Westphalia," Wust wrote on X during his visit. "This close connection is a strength that we nurture," he added.

Wust stated that updating trade mechanisms remains essential for sustaining bilateral cooperation. "To do that, we also need reform of the EU-Türkiye Customs Union and must improve visa procedures," he said, adding that he would continue working toward both objectives.

Ankara talks

The German state premier met with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara on the first day of his visit. The roughly 50-minute discussion focused primarily on economic cooperation and relations between Türkiye and North Rhine-Westphalia, according to Anadolu Agency. He raised the Customs Union modernization proposal during the talks.

Demographic weight

Approximately one-third of Germany's Turkish population resides in North Rhine-Westphalia. The state hosts the largest Turkish diaspora community of any German federal region.