BOSTON — Turkey must be party to a proposed free trade agreement (FTA) between the EU and the U.S., Turkey's economy minister declared on Monday, stressing that otherwise Turkey should consider renouncing its customs union agreement with the EU. Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekçi arrived in Boston on Tuesday to meet U.S. counterparts in Washington on Wednesday as part of the Framework for Strategic Economic and Commercial Cooperation between Turkey and the U.S. During a reception held by Turkey's consul general in Boston prior to official talks planned for Wednesday, Zeybekçi emphasized that Turkey has to be admitted into the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) between the EU and the U.S. "If Turkey is not in the agreement between the U.S. and the EU, Turkey may renounce its customs union agreement with the EU due to the substantial damages suffered," Zeybekçi said. Explaining that they will evaluate the possible effects of the proposed TTIP agreement with Turkey during official talks, Zeybekçi said Turkey should be accepted into the new agreement since it is already a member of the EU's customs union agreement. As a member of the EU's custom union agreement, Turkey complains that free trade agreements.