Türkiye is among the U.K.'s priority countries for completing the expansion of the free trade agreement (FTA), according to Chris Bryant, Britain's Minister of State for Trade Policy and Economic Security, who suggested that negotiations have progressed far more quickly than expected.
"Türkiye is in our short list of countries that we want to complete our free trade agreement with as soon as we possibly can," Bryant told Anadolu Agency (AA) in a recent interview.
"At the beginning of the process, which was only last summer, we thought that it would take quite a long time to go through each of the different rounds. We've completed three rounds in six months. That's almost unheard of in free trade agreement processes," he added.
The U.K.-Türkiye Free Trade Agreement, which entered into force on Jan. 1, 2021, has added momentum to bilateral trade, with trade between the two countries reaching 28 billion pounds (nearly $38 billion) last year, according to figures shared by Bryant.
On Thursday, both countries also signed a new Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) Action Plan, which includes 16 concrete measures, along with a mutual recognition agreement, during high-level talks in London.
The agreements were signed during the eighth-term meeting of Türkiye-U.K. JETCO, which took place during a visit to London by Trade Minister Ömer Bolat. Both countries aim to double bilateral trade volume in the mid-term.
Bryant also emphasized that while negotiations continue, the focus is on practical outcomes.
"But in the end, the most important thing is not just agreeing on what's in the agreement. It's then implementing it so that businesses in Türkiye or in the U.K. can exploit those opportunities. Classic instances. I'm really glad that Türkiye agreed to the liberalization of telecoms that we see as a significant opportunity both to deliver good services in Türkiye, but also for British businesses."
He confirmed further rounds are planned, saying: "Some of the easier bits are already done, and now we've got some of the tougher bits to negotiate over the next few months. There's going to be the next round of negotiations in February and I'm hopeful there'll be more rounds later on this year."
Bryant suggested that a free trade agreement could be significantly expanded. "It'd be good if we could double that. And that's the kind of thing that is possible if we have a free trade agreement, which brings down both the tariff barriers and other barriers as well, both in goods and in the exchange of services and e-commerce."
Highlighting the strategic relationship, Bryant said: "We are very fortunate that we are such strong allies with Türkiye, both on a trade basis and a military basis and security basis that I think that that gives us an opportunity to trust one another and move forward very strongly."
Bryant reflected on recent diplomatic engagement, noting that it had been "the first time a British prime minister, Keir Starmer, had visited Türkiye" in eight years, which he described as extraordinary.
He added that the visit in October "got the dealer over Typhoon sale to Türkiye over the line" and emphasized that "that is just the beginning of our defense agreement and cooperation. Whether it's a manufacturer or it's an alliance through NATO, I think in both senses we're very strong allies."
Türkiye signed an 8 billion pound ($10.7 billion) deal in October with the U.K. to buy 20 Eurofighter Typhoon jets, a move that is seen by the British government as "a good model for all NATO allies to follow."
He also highlighted the importance of bilateral ties, saying there are two key aspects: NATO membership and trade.
"First of all, obviously, we're both significant NATO members, and at a moment of international uncertainty, that is an essential part of our relationship," Bryant said.
He added: "Today is specifically about trade, of course, and I'm delighted that over the last few years we've doubled bilateral trade between our two countries."
Bryant added that U.K. and Turkish businesses have also collaborated in third countries.
"For instance, in Serbia, we've been doing work around major construction projects where we provide the kind of preparatory work and the design and the financing, and Turkish businesses provide the construction and businesses themselves. So that kind of cooperation between us, I think, is an essential part of what we want to develop."
Bryant also mentioned Greenland while underscoring the U.K.'s commitment to NATO.
"The U.K. and Türkiye are both very strong members of NATO, very committed to NATO, and of course, so is Denmark. And the situation in Greenland is a matter for the Greenlanders and for the people of Denmark and them alone; they should decide its future," he said.
He added that NATO obligations remain central to the U.K.'s position. "There are specific requirements under the NATO agreement, which we passionately support, and I know our Turkish counterparts do as well."
At the same time, Bryant said the U.K. was pursuing trade talks with Greenland, noting that economic issues can often intersect with geopolitics.
"Incidentally, at the same time, we're trying to do a free trade agreement with Greenland. There are some specific issues with tariff and non-tariff barriers that we need to unlock there," he said. "So sometimes geopolitical issues do focus on trade, whether it's about oil or gas or whatever it may be."
U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in acquiring Greenland, a self-governing territory of Denmark, and has not ruled out using military force.
A day after the U.S. military operation in Venezuela that captured President Nicolas Maduro, Trump renewed his calls for an American takeover of Greenland for the sake of U.S. security interests.
