Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan affirmed that combining South Korea's expertise in technology and innovation with Turkey's production power would lead the two countries to "much greater successes," pointing to Ankara's desire to expand the partnership between the two sides in strategic sectors. This came in an interview conducted with the South Korean news agency Yonhap, ahead of a visit he is making to Seoul, which he arrived in on Monday and which lasts until Wednesday, in response to an invitation from its President Lee Jae-myung.
For his part, Erdogan clarified that his country sees important opportunities to enhance cooperation with South Korea in the fields of defense industries, nuclear energy, advanced technology, artificial intelligence, and renewable energy. He added that the two countries want to turn these opportunities into tangible projects, open the door for their companies, and increase mutual investments, with a focus on giving new momentum to economic relations.
He pointed out that Turkey and South Korea aim to raise the volume of bilateral trade from $11.4 billion (last year) to $15 billion, with a focus on making it more balanced. He noted a large gap between exports and imports, continuing: "Our exports to Korea in 2025 reached about $1.14 billion, while our imports from it reached $10.26 billion. We want to reduce this gap and make our trade more balanced and sustainable."
He affirmed that Ankara seeks to raise mutual investments and expand cooperation in production and technology fields, rather than limiting itself to the growth of trade volume alone. He stressed that Turkey's strong production infrastructure, qualified workforce, and strategic location provide important opportunities for Korean investors, noting that Hyundai's activities in car production in Turkey and Posco's investments in the steel sector represent tangible models of partnership between the two countries.
He also expressed his welcome for Hyundai's start of electric car production at its facilities in Kocaeli province in northwestern Turkey. He pointed to additional opportunities in the fields of electronics, semiconductor technologies, machinery, industrial automation, robotic systems, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, and renewable energy. In the field of defense industries, President Erdogan welcomed the interest South Korea shows in the diesel-powered turboprop aircraft engine "PD170."
Regarding the Sinop nuclear power plant project in northern Turkey, he said that Ankara attaches importance to the ongoing negotiations with Seoul. He went on to say: "We know our Korean friends' expertise in the field of nuclear energy, and after the memorandum of understanding we signed last year, we carried out important work with the Korean company KEPCO within the framework of preliminary feasibility studies."
In this context, President Erdogan said that security problems in the Strait of Hormuz and restrictions on ship movement have again shown the importance of developing alternative and reliable routes for international trade. He stressed that Turkey supports its strategic position between Asia and Europe with a strong transport and logistics infrastructure. Finally, President Erdogan affirmed Turkey's readiness to provide the necessary support for Korean companies investing in the country and contributing to production and providing job opportunities.
Erdogan is scheduled to hold official talks on Tuesday with his South Korean counterpart, covering the strategic partnership relations between the two countries in all their dimensions, current regional and global issues, and the signing of a number of agreements aimed at enhancing bilateral relations.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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