In his first official bilateral visit to Türkiye, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy will be in Ankara on Monday. Lammy is scheduled to meet his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan, Foreign Ministry sources said on Sunday.
During the meeting, Fidan is expected to stress Türkiye’s commitment to its NATO ally and strategic partner, expressing satisfaction with the positive trajectory of bilateral relations and highlighting the aim to further strengthen cooperation across all fields.
The importance of continued close cooperation between relevant authorities in security and counterterrorism will be underlined, along with the recognition of economic, trade, financial, defense industry and tourism ties as driving forces in relations between the two countries.
The meeting is expected to stress the significance of negotiations aimed at updating the countries’ free trade agreement to accelerate economic ties and boost the trade volume between Türkiye and the U.K.
It is expected that Türkiye and Britain, two allies outside the European Union, will be emphasized as integral elements of Europe’s defense and security architecture, and that the need to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in the defense industry in light of the changing global security environment will be underlined.
The contributions to bilateral relations of nearly half a million Turkish-origin citizens living in the U.K. will be acknowledged in the meeting, and it is expected to be emphasized that close dialogue and coordinated cooperation between the two countries on regional and global issues remain important.
The talks will also address how a lasting solution to the Palestinian issue, which lies at the heart of many problems in the Middle East, is crucial for peace and stability in the region, also welcoming the recent cease-fire between Iran and Israel, and how negotiations should resume to resolve disagreements over nuclear energy.
The meeting will highlight the vital importance of ending the Russia-Ukraine war through diplomacy to achieve a just and sustainable peace and that following the lifting of sanctions on Syria, cooperation will be encouraged to help restore the country’s economic, infrastructure, and humanitarian capacities.
Türkiye and the U.K. are allies and established a “strategic partnership” in 2007.
Last year, Türkiye announced that it had agreed with the United Kingdom to initiate negotiations in Ankara to revise their free trade agreement (FTA), as the sides are looking for ways to strengthen economic ties. The agreement has been in place since the U.K.'s departure from the European Union in 2020. Lammy's visit precedes technical talks to upgrade the FTA, which will take place soon, according to media reports.
