Türkiye and Greece are setting their sights on achieving a $10 billion bilateral trade volume as part of a newly launched “positive agenda” initiative aimed at bolstering cooperation across healthcare, environment, culture, tourism, economy, and trade.

The initiative follows a series of high-level mutual visits that have helped ease tensions and open new avenues for economic collaboration. At the end of 2023, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited Athens for the 5th Türkiye-Greece High-Level Cooperation Council – the first such meeting in seven years – to focus on increasing foreign trade between the two nations. Last year, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited Türkiye to explore further opportunities, and he is expected to return this April for another high-level cooperation meeting.

Trade figures indicate a positive trajectory in economic relations. Turkish exports to Greece have grown significantly, rising from $1.8 billion in 2020 to $3.1 billion in 2021, then reaching $3.3 billion in 2022. In 2023, Turkish exports approached $4.2 billion, and in 2024, they surpassed $4.8 billion. Meanwhile, Greek imports to Türkiye have fluctuated over the past few years, closing 2024 at $1.4 billion. Overall, the bilateral trade volume has expanded from $3.1 billion in 2020 to $6.2 billion in 2024, bringing the partners closer to their ambitious target.

Tourism is also on the upswing, reflecting the warming of ties between the two countries. The number of tourists visiting from Türkiye increased from 136,305 during the pandemic in 2020 to 686,430 in 2023. Similarly, the number of Greek tourists to Türkiye rose by 3% last year, reaching 707,133.

These developments underline the growing economic interdependence between Türkiye and Greece, with both governments hopeful that further deepened cooperation will not only boost trade but also contribute to regional stability and prosperity.

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