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The Philippines and Türkiye have agreed to expand trade and investment cooperation following their first post-pandemic bilateral meeting
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Among the sectors eyed are manufacturing, defense, infrastructure, agriculture, and halal industries
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Current bilateral trade reached $365 million in FY 2025, with officials saying potential is much larger
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Türkiye pushed for the resumption of the Philippines-Türkiye Joint Committee on Economic and Technical Cooperation
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Türkiye also seeks full ASEAN dialogue partner status during the Philippines’ 2026 ASEAN chairmanship
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The Philippines expressed interest in Turkish manufacturing, agri-food, infrastructure, halal cooperation, and defense
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Philippines also committed to review the anti-dumping measure on Turkish wheat flour that is set to expire in 2027, and the accreditation of Turkish poultry products
The Philippines and Türkiye have agreed to expand trade and investment cooperation following their first post-pandemic bilateral meeting, with both sides identifying opportunities for collaboration in manufacturing, infrastructure, agriculture, defense, and halal industries.
Department of Trade and Industry undersecretary and Board of Investments (BOI) managing head Ceferino Rodolfo recently met with Turkish Deputy Trade Minister Mustafa Tuzcu in Ankara, where they mapped out a shared agenda on the different sectors as well as a push to bring Türkiye closer to the 11-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Both officials acknowledged that the bilateral trade figure for 2025 at US$365 million, with the balance of trade currently favoring the Philippines, could be pushed higher and made more balanced, the BOI said in a news release.
The Philippines cited its ballooning total trade deficit as a key driver of that ambition, noting the gap has widened dramatically from approximately US$5 billion in 2015 to US$50 billion in 2025.
The Turkish side pointed to its strengths: a defense industry ranked 11th globally, a construction sector with over €550 billion worth of projects worldwide, and a manufacturing base whose “made in Türkiye” label already has a foothold in the Philippines through companies like Aselsan, Turkey’s largest defense electronics firm, and infrastructure player GÜLERMAK.
Tuzcu pressed for the resumption of the Philippines-Türkiye Joint Committee on Economic and Technical Cooperation, reiterated Türkiye’s ambition to become a full ASEAN dialogue partner – a bid Manila supports, particularly during the Philippines’ 2026 ASEAN chairmanship – and underscored an upcoming business mission to Manila to be led by Turkey’s Foreign Economic Relations Board, DEIK.
On the Philippine side, Rodolfo expressed confidence in Turkish manufacturing capability and committed to address two trade friction points: a review of the anti-dumping measure on Turkish wheat flour, which expires in 2027, and the accreditation of Turkish poultry products for export to the Philippines, for which Türkiye is already on the priority inspection list.
Philippine Ambassador-designate Jaime Ramon Ascalon highlighted the regional dimension of the bilateral push.
“As ASEAN Chair for 2026, we welcome this opportunity to connect Türkiye not only with the Philippines but with the Southeast Asian region as a whole. With a population of over 650 million and a fast-growing middle class, ASEAN is one of the world’s most dynamic regions. The Philippines is more than welcome to assist with any business missions to our region to drive investment, improve supply chains, and expand market access,” he said.
The meeting also reflected Türkiye’s strategic interest in the Philippines as one of the markets in its “far country strategy” — a deliberate policy of deepening ties with select markets beyond its immediate neighborhood.
Manila said it matches that commitment with a pledge to foster a long-term, mutually beneficial partnership and to clear unnecessary trade obstacles standing in the way.
