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Trade Minister Ömer Bolat said Turkey and Uzbekistan have taken concrete steps to raise bilateral trade from $3.1 billion in 2025 to the $5 billion target set by the two presidents as quickly as possible.

Bolat's remarks came after agreements on preferential trade and customs data exchange were signed in Ankara in the presence of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

Three accords signed in Ankara

Bolat said Turkey was pleased to host Mirziyoyev and the accompanying delegation in Ankara on the occasion of the 13th Summit of the Organization of Turkic States. Erdoğan received the visiting Uzbek president and the delegation, Bolat wrote on the social media platform NSosyal.

In the presence of both leaders, Bolat signed two documents with Uzbek counterparts: a protocol expanding the scope of the Turkey-Uzbekistan Preferential Trade Agreement, and a protocol on the exchange of preliminary information on goods and vehicles crossing state borders. Erdoğan and Mirziyoyev also signed an agreement to establish a Turkey-Uzbekistan Business and Investment Council to increase trade and investment between the two countries. Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz will chair the Turkish side of the council.

With these three agreements, "we have taken concrete steps to bring our trade volume, which stood at $3.1 billion in 2025, to the $5 billion target set by our presidents in the shortest possible time," Bolat said.

Customs protocol to speed up border crossings

According to a written statement from the Trade Ministry, the supplementary protocol on exchanging preliminary information about vehicles and goods passing through customs was signed by Bolat and Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov in the presence of Erdoğan and Mirziyoyev.

The protocol provides for data on vehicles and goods moving between the two countries to be shared electronically in advance. The ministry said the aim is to speed up customs procedures, cut waiting times at border gates and make electronic data exchange between the two countries' customs administrations more effective.

The protocol is expected to help harmonize customs procedures and support faster, safer and more sustainable development of bilateral and transit trade between Turkey and Uzbekistan.

Trade target and Turkish contracting work

Bolat said the agreements are designed to reach the $5 billion trade goal set by Erdoğan and Mirziyoyev as quickly as possible, building on a trade volume of $3.1 billion in 2025.

Turkish contractors have carried out 333 projects in Uzbekistan to date, with a total value exceeding $9.5 billion, and will continue to support the country's development, Bolat said. He added that economic and commercial ties with Uzbekistan, which shares a common history, language and culture, will keep growing through joint work and projects.

Further steps on customs cooperation

The Trade Ministry said it will continue its work to deepen long-standing customs cooperation with Uzbekistan, facilitate cross-border trade and speed up processes for exporters and the international transport sector.

Key takeaways

• Turkey and Uzbekistan signed protocols on preferential trade and customs information exchange in Ankara.
• The two presidents agreed to set up a Turkey-Uzbekistan Business and Investment Council, with Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz chairing the Turkish side.
• Bilateral trade reached $3.1 billion in 2025, with a $5 billion target set by the two presidents.
• Turkish contractors have completed 333 projects in Uzbekistan worth more than $9.5 billion.