Türkiye and the U.K. are set to hold a third round of negotiations after the second in September to reach a "next-generation" and comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA) to replace the existing one since 2021.
The previous two rounds of meetings focused primarily on goods trade and related issues, trade policy, health and plant health measures, customs and trade facilitation.
Türkiye and the U.K. discussed mutual new market openings for agricultural products, expanding cooperation in health and plant health and streamlining customs procedures.
Financial services, telecommunications, legal services, maritime transport, postal and courier services and digital trade, with a focus on secure data transfer and the protection of investments, were also among the main items.
Türkiye and the U.K. aim to facilitate trade in services and investments, ensure legal predictability and reduce trade costs via a closer integration in digital trade. Negotiations were conducted on intellectual property (IP) rights, as well as administrative and institutional provisions, regulatory practices, labor and the environment.
The U.K. Department for Business and Trade said on Tuesday the second round of negotiations was "productive," with some positive progress on multiple items, including digital trade, financial and professional business services, and investments. Both Türkiye and the U.K. worked on reaffirming international commitments and identifying common priorities in the second round.
Negotiations are scheduled to continue with a third round in November 2025, to transform the FTA into a next-generation, comprehensive agreement, an Anadolu Agency (AA) report said. The British government, in a written statement, also said that the third round of negotiations "is expected to take place in late Autumn of 2025."
The U.K. expects that stronger trade with Türkiye will boost its employment and national prosperity.
The British market, in turn, is strategically important to Türkiye, which has a population of 69 million and strong consumer demand.
The annual trade volume between Türkiye and the U.K. reached $22 billion in 2024, as London became Ankara’s seventh-largest trading partner, according to the Trade Ministry. Türkiye also had an $8 billion trade surplus with the U.K.
Türkiye is Britain’s 16th largest trading partner, according to the U.K. Department for International Trade. The U.K.’s trade with Türkiye directly contributed to 57,100 jobs across the country in 2020, the data showed.
