ANKARA, 7 May – Turkey and the United Kingdom have agreed to hold the first round of negotiations to modernise and expand the scope of their Free Trade Agreement (FTA) by the end of July, Turkish Trade Minister Ömer Bolat announced on Wednesday.

The FTA between the NATO allies was rolled over when the UK left the European Union in 2020. A joint review in 2023 concluded that the agreement could be improved and updated to reflect evolving trade priorities.

In a post on X, Bolat described his meeting in London with the UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Jonathan Reynolds, as productive. The two sides signed sections of the agreement covering motor vehicles and chemicals, marking “an important step in the modernisation process,” he said.

Bolat also confirmed that the 8th session of the Türkiye–United Kingdom Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) will be held in London later this year, where both sides will conduct a comprehensive assessment of their trade relations.

Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu and Huseyin Hayatsever; Edited by Toby Chopra