John Whelan: Sorry, Ms von der Leyen, but Turkish trade offers many benefits

Irish exporters have benefited from EU-Turkish customs union

Taoiseach Micheal Martin (left) and Lord Mayor of Cork Damian Boylan, greet European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Cork last week. Ms Von der Leyen's comments regarding Turkey are unhelpful to trade says John Whelan. Picture: Liam McBurney/PA

Mon, 13 Jul, 2026 - 00:34

An expert in Irish and international trade, John Whelan is a former Chief Executive of the Irish Exporters Association, a role he held for more than a decade and previously served as an export industry adviser to the AIB Bank Group.

Turkey is known as a meeting point, a land where East meets West, where civilizations overlap, and last week where fraying alliances created a tense atmosphere as Nato leaders jetted into Ankara.

Both the US president’s recent disparaging comments about the lack of support from Nato allies and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen's comments some three months ago warning that Europe must be wary of the influence of “Russia, Turkey, or China” put the host country Turkey and its president in a very tight corner.