President Tayyip Erdoğan made statements at a joint press conference with Polish President Karol Nawrocki. Erdoğan noted the following in summary: OUR TRADE VOLUME TARGET IS $15 BILLION: Drawing strength from our deep-rooted history with Poland spanning over six centuries, we are developing cooperation in every field as two allies and strategic partners.
In our meetings, we exchanged views on many topics, from trade to investments, from the defense industry to energy and human relations. After reaching our trade volume target of $10 billion, we set a new target of $15 billion for ourselves. We continue to work with determination towards our new goal.
Poland is among the countries where our contracting firms are most active, with projects worth approximately $9 billion. We hope that the number of these projects will increase further. THE MOST PROMINENT AGENDA ITEM OF OUR DEFENSE INDUSTRY COOPERATION: Transportation constitutes another potential area with Poland. The Three Seas Initiative, in which we are a strategic partner, offers an important platform in this regard, with Poland's support.
The defense industry is also one of the most prominent agenda items of our bilateral cooperation. In the past, we have signed very important partnerships in this field, both in UAVs and other defense projects. As two NATO allies with an indispensable place in Europe's security and defense architecture, we are working to further strengthen this cooperation.
Strengthening our deep-rooted bilateral relations in a wide range of areas from education and culture to science and tourism will constitute a joint investment in the future of our friendship. POLAND'S SUPPORT FOR OUR EU MEMBERSHIP PROCESS SHOULD CONTINUE TO INCREASE: In our talks, we also discussed Türkiye-European Union relations as well as current, regional and global issues.
As we emphasize on every occasion, we have the will to advance our cooperation with the European Union on the basis of mutual benefit and respect. On this occasion, I thank Poland for its support for our European Union membership process and hope that this support continues increasingly.
WE EXPECT POLAND TO CONTINUE ITS SUPPORT FOR THE TWO-STATE SOLUTION: We also evaluated developments in the NATO context together with the President. Within the framework of the NATO Summit we will hold in Ankara on July 7-8, strengthening the alliance's European pillar and reinforcing its deterrence constitutes our common priority.
At this point, we consider it important to further consolidate the transatlantic bond with European allies assuming more responsibility. During our meeting, we also comprehensively evaluated the latest situation in the Russia-Ukraine War and developments related to Iran. We drew attention to the urgent need for peace in both areas.
In this vein, among the issues that should never be overshadowed are Palestine and the process towards lasting peace in the Middle East. We expect Poland, which is among the countries recognizing the State of Palestine, to continue its support for the two-state solution. President Erdoğan welcomed Polish President Karol Nawrocki, who is visiting Türkiye, with an official ceremony.
Cavalry troops met Nawrocki's official vehicle on the avenue in front of the Presidential Complex and escorted the vehicle to the protocol gate. President Erdoğan welcomed Nawrocki at the main entrance gate of the Complex. After Erdoğan and Nawrocki took their places in the ceremony area, the band played the national anthems of both countries.
During the ceremony, flags and soldiers representing the 16 historical Turkish states were featured, and a 21-gun salute was fired. Nawrocki greeted the Guard Regiment Ceremonial Troop by saying, 'Merhaba asker' (Hello soldiers). The two leaders introduced their delegations to each other. President Erdoğan and Nawrocki posed for the press by shaking hands on the stairs in front of the Turkish and Polish flags. TRADE VOLUME EXCEEDED $12.5 BILLION
The trade volume between the two countries, which has also gained strong momentum in the economic field, exceeded $12.5 billion in 2025, while advancing cooperation particularly in the defense industry is targeted. Poland is one of Türkiye's important trade partners in Europe. Trade with Poland, especially in the defense industry, is foreseen to be developed.
In 2021, Poland purchased 24 Bayraktar TB2 Armed Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) from Türkiye, and the delivery was completed in 2024. Additionally, Poland uses defense systems produced by Türkiye. As one of the recent links in the cooperation carried out with Poland, there is an export contract worth approximately $410 million signed in December 2025 for electronic warfare systems.
The agreement is of critical importance in terms of increasing the security and effectiveness of the Turkish defense industry in the European and NATO geography. OUR COOPERATION IS OF STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE Polish President Nawrocki emphasized that the two countries play a very important role in NATO and that cooperation in this area is of very strategic importance.
Nawrocki also stressed the importance of cooperation with Türkiye in the industrial field, saying, 'Polish soldiers are using Bayraktar unmanned aerial vehicles purchased from Türkiye. Such cooperation of ours is a sign of how important we are as two states for the alliance. Therefore, we definitely want to continue the presence of soldiers serving at Incirlik Base.'
