Türkiye and South Korea are set to hold their sixth joint committee meeting under the bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) in Ankara on June 23, aiming to further strengthen trade relations and explore opportunities for cooperation in key strategic sectors. The two-day discussions will focus on enhancing mutual investments and developing a forward-looking roadmap to achieve more balanced trade between the countries.

The meeting comes amid ongoing efforts to deepen commercial ties, particularly in areas such as nuclear energy, artificial intelligence, defense, and critical minerals. Recent high-level exchanges highlight the growing partnership: South Korean President Lee Jae-myung visited Türkiye in November of last year, while senior Turkish officials, including the energy and foreign ministers, have conducted reciprocal visits to South Korea.

During President Lee’s visit, Türkiye’s nuclear energy firm TÜNAŞ and South Korea’s power utility KEPCO signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on nuclear energy projects. This collaboration aligns with Türkiye’s broader nuclear ambitions, which include bringing its first Russian-built nuclear power plant online in the southern city of Mersin. Additionally, Türkiye plans to develop two further nuclear facilities, located in the northern Sinop province and the Thrace region.

The upcoming joint committee meeting will likely assess the progress made since the FTA’s inception and explore ways to expand cooperation across these strategic sectors, reflecting the mutual interest in leveraging each country’s strengths to foster economic growth and technological advancement.