Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci said yesterday that Turkey's negotiations with the EU and the U.S. about becoming a member of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) have been "progressing in a positive way." The fifth period Meeting and Business Forum of the U.K.-Turkey Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) was held with the participation of Zeybekci and British Minister of State for Trade and Investment Lord Livingston.In a press conference held after the JETCO signing ceremony, Zeybekci said that the fifth Period Protocol was signed by Turkey and the U.K. He said that they had reviewed all the commercial and economic relations, discussed the problems they had faced and made some evaluations to develop commercial and political cooperation between the two countries."Today, the U.K. is Turkey's third-largest trade partner and its third-largest export market. Also, there are nearly 2,800 British companies operating in Turkey as of today. Moreover, the U.K. has become the second-largest country in terms of making foreign direct investments in Turkey," Zeybekci said.In addition to saying that both countries have mutual interests, Zeybekci added that while the U.K. has many features that Turkey does not, Turkey has many advantages and opportunities that the U.K. does not have. Emphasizing that they see cooperation with third parties as a huge opportunity, Zeybekci remarked that "Turkey will make many investments ranging from energy and health to technology and transportation in the next 10 years. We think we can carry out many projects with the U.K. As Turkey, we extend our gratitude to the U.K. It has supported Turkey's full membership to the EU."He also said that the economic borders of the world have been redrawn recently and one of the most significant results coming out of this is the TTIP. "The U.S. and the EU are creating a new cooperation with the TTIP agreement, which means half of the countries representing the global economy are coming together. On the other hand, Turkey is the only country that has a customs union agreement with the EU. Our negotiations on Turkey's participation in the TTIP agreement with the EU and the U.S. still continue in a positive way."In addition to saying that Livingston "knows very well that Turkey is sensitive about its participation in the TTIP," Zeybekci said: "The U.K. supports Turkey before the EU and the U.S. We will hold the business forum that will bring the business world of both countries together and we will encourage Turkish and British businessmen to make more business and cooperation. I am extending my gratitude to the honorable minister for his visit to Turkey. We might visit him on March 18-19."Referring to the 60 British companies that came to Turkey to attend the Business Forum, Lord Livingston, minister of Trade and Investment for the U.K. said that the reason for this participation is not only the investments to be made in Turkey, but also the investments that Turkey will make in the U.K. and the cooperation to be made in third regions, which may include Africa, the Middle East or the Caucasus. Livingston also showed his appreciation for Turkey turning into a great economic and commercial power by tripling its gross domestic product in the last decade. "As the U.K., we desire to be a part of this development," Livingston added. Livingston also said that they know Turkey's 2023 goals very well and expressed their desire to head toward the future with Turkey by developing cooperation in the fields of health, finance and information technologies. Saying that they mainly focused on suppoting trade and traders during the talks with Zeybekci, Livingston said that the U.K. supports Turkey's EU accession process and that they share Turkey's sensitivities about the TTIP. "Our purpose is to increase trade and investment. We want to realize this not only for the benefit of Turkey and the U.K., but also in the countries and regions where we do business. Today, there is a strong relationship between us. We want to continue this relationship into the future in the same way," he added.