The JETCO protocol and the $60B headline. The four words that actually matter — and what they signal about Türkiye's role in European value chains.
Germany is Türkiye's largest trading partner — bilateral trade above $52 billion, the deepest single relationship in the corridor — its largest export market, and its biggest foreign investor (~8,600 firms, ~$26.5bn FDI, per Türkiye's trade ministry). On 19 June, the sixth Türkiye–Germany Joint Economic and Trade Commission signed a new economic cooperation protocol and reaffirmed a $60 billion trade target. The strategic signal sits in one agenda line: cooperation in third-country markets "where both already maintain a strong presence."
That points beyond the old read of "Türkiye makes, Germany buys." It opens two doors — deeper co-production (with Türkiye seeking recognition of its role in European value chains inside the "Made in EU" frame) and joint plays in third markets. The driver is de-risking. The catch: intent is not access — Customs Union modernization is still stalled and "Made in EU" inclusion is an aim, not a secured rule. The opening favours firms that can show real European value-chain content and a credible third-market route.