President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan recently visited Spain in a move to enhance bilateral relations and foster cooperation at the 8th Türkiye-Spain Intergovernmental Summit in Madrid. Upon his arrival, Erdoğan held a private meeting with King Felipe VI of Spain at the Royal Palace of Zarzuela. During the meeting, President Erdoğan expressed optimism about the deepening of Türkiye-Spain relations, highlighting that collaborative efforts in various sectors, including the expansion of bilateral trade and defense industry cooperation, would be mutually beneficial.
The President's delegation included First Lady Emine Erdoğan, Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek, Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır, Agriculture and Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumaklı, Trade Minister Ömer Bolat, and Investment Office President A. Burak Dağlıoğlu.
During the summit, Investment Office President Dağlıoğlu signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Spanish Secretary of State for Trade Maria Amparo Lopez Senovilla, representing ICEX Trade and Investment. This MoU signifies a major step forward in enhancing the exchange of information and promoting closer cooperation in bilateral trade and investments between Türkiye and Spain.
Over the past two decades, Spain has been a major investor in Türkiye, with foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows totaling USD 11.4 billion since 2002. Meanwhile, FDI outflows from Türkiye to Spain reached USD 462 million during the same period. These significant figures reflect the strong mutual confidence and robust ties between the two countries.
Currently, over 700 companies with Spanish capital are operating in Türkiye, contributing significantly to the country's dynamic business environment.