Türkiye-Spain relations were formalized through the signing of the Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Commerce in 1782. Bilateral relations have taken on a new dimension by the mid-1980s, as a result of Spain’s accession to NATO and the EU, as well as through the implementation by both countries of similar economic policies which give priority to liberalization and access to new markets. Bilateral political dialogue and economic relations have been strengthened with reciprocal high-level visits realized since 1980s.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the then Prime Minister, and Former Prime Minister of Spain José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero initiated the Alliance of Civilizations initiative in 2005 with the common understanding that only a broad coalition defending the mutual respect among different cultures could tackle the growing tendencies of alienation and polarization.

On the other hand, Türkiye-Spain Intergovernmental Summit meetings, the first of which was organized in Istanbul in 2009 and held eight times so far, have carried the bilateral relations to the highest level. The last Intergovernmental Summit was held in Madrid on June 13, 2024.

Spain’s supports for Türkiye’s EU membership process further strengthened our cooperation.