Elma Saiz makes progress in Istanbul on the implementation of the social policy agreement between Spain and Turkey

The Minister for Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, Elma Saiz, together with her Turkish counterpart, Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş

The two discussed key social policy issues following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the two ministries last June in Madrid.

This agreement provides for the exchange of experiences and joint work in areas such as social assistance in the fight against poverty, social inclusion policies or economic and social support practices for vulnerable groups. Minister Saiz expressed Spain's commitment to advancing the implementation of this agreement, recognising Turkey's fundamental role as a valuable partner for both Spain and the European Union.

"This meeting underlines the importance of Turkey as a strategic partner for Spain and the European Union as a whole. I would like to thank the minister for her welcome and her willingness to work collaboratively on social policy and inclusion issues through the Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries," said Saiz.

For the development and execution of the agreement, an action plan has been drawn up that includes the holding of a preliminary meeting in September to establish key points of collaboration and actions for the coming months, as well as the commitment to meet on a quarterly basis. A training and experience exchange day will also be held in 2025 focusing on the evaluation of social inclusion policies carried out by the Inclusion Policy Lab - promoted by the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration - and its future challenges.

During the meeting, Minister Saiz was also able to discuss migration policy issues, and thanked her counterpart for the reception of 4 million Syrian refugees, underlining the enormous value of Turkey's efforts in this area. "We need to continue working closely together to develop effective policies for inclusion and integration," she said. In this regard, Minister Saiz has invited her Turkish counterpart to the social policy ministerial meeting of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to be held this year in Paris.

For her part, Minister Özdemir highlighted Spain's position on the conflict in Palestine and the defence of peace that both countries are making in the Alliance of Civilisations. She also praised Spain's work to combat xenophobic discourse in the face of current migratory flows.

This visit comes two months after the eighth Intergovernmental Summit between Spain and Turkey, held at Moncloa Palace. At the summit, chaired by the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, and the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, 13 collaboration agreements were signed between various ministries. These included the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between the Spanish Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration and the Turkish Ministry of Family and Social Services.

Minister Saiz highlighted the excellent state of bilateral relations between the two countries and pointed out the need to continue working on inclusion and migration policies. "Together, we can develop strategies that benefit our societies and contribute to the well-being of our most vulnerable citizens," she concluded.

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