Accompanied by top defense officials, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in Ankara on Monday as a guest of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The British leader was received by Erdoğan at the Presidential Complex after a welcoming ceremony at a military base where his plane landed.
Erdoğan and Starmer were scheduled to attend a ceremony to sign a series of deals between the two countries and hold a joint news conference as of press time.
The pending sale of dozens of Eurofighter Typhoon jets to Türkiye is expected to dominate talks.
Ankara has reportedly proposed to its European allies and the U.S. ways to swiftly procure advanced fighter jets, amid talks to buy 40 Eurofighter Typhoons, as well as U.S. F-16s and F-35s. Under a deal it is nearing with Britain, Türkiye would promptly receive 12 Typhoons, albeit used, from previous buyers Qatar and Oman to meet its immediate needs, with 28 new jets coming in future years, Reuters reported. In July, Ankara and London signed a preliminary purchase agreement approved by the Eurofighter consortium members – Britain, Germany, Italy and Spain, represented by Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo. Germany initially blocked the sale but lifted its opposition in July, clearing the way for it to go ahead.
The U.K. is among Türkiye's leading partners in Europe. The Türkiye-United Kingdom Strategic Partnership Document, which entered into force in 2007, was renewed in 2010 and has become the fundamental document for bilateral relations.
Meanwhile, the U.K. and Türkiye are negotiating a free trade agreement. The first round of negotiations on the updated agreement concluded positively, while the next round is expected later this year and will focus on developing a roadmap for expanded cooperation, particularly in services and innovation-driven sectors.
Trade between the two countries currently exceeds 27 billion pounds (approximately $36 billion), making Türkiye one of the U.K.’s largest trading partners.
The U.K. seeks to expand its global trade network post-Brexit, while Türkiye aims to diversify its economic partnerships amid shifting regional dynamics and supply chain realignments.
The two NATO allies also enjoy high-level defense cooperation, both bilaterally and through international organizations. Tourism is another area where the two boast close ties.
