Türkiye ready to launch free trade talks with UK

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will reiterate Türkiye's readiness to start negotiations for a free trade agreement with the United Kingdom during his official trip to London on Oct. 30, diplomatic sources have said.

It will be Fidan's first visit to London after the Labour Party came to power in the July polls. He will meet Foreign Secretary David Lammy and other officials in London. Türkiye and the U.K. have enjoyed a strategic partnership since 2007 and their ties have gained even more importance following Brexit.

According to the sources, Fidan will express Türkiye's satisfaction with the development of the bilateral ties in all domains, including trade, economic cooperation and the defense industry.

On economy and trade, the Turkish top diplomat will repeat that Türkiye is ready to start negotiations for a new free trade agreement with the U.K.

In fact, Ankara had agreed to do so with the previous British government but the process had to delay due to the early polls in the latter.

The Labour Party government has expressed its willingness to expand the scope of the free trade agreement with Türkiye as well.

Fidan and Lammy are expected to discuss the matter and agree on a road map for the launch of the negotiations.

The bilateral trade volume exceeded $20 billion recently and the two allies seek to increase it to $30 billion in the coming years.

In addition to existing cooperation, Fidan is expected to underline the importance of investments in new fields, including energy and transportation.

Turkish-British dialogue also includes digital and green transformation as Türkiye was one of the 28 countries attending the AI Security Summit that took place in London in November 2023.