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Türkiye’s Ambassador to London Osman Koray Ertas said bilateral trade volume between Türkiye and the United Kingdom is expected to exceed $30 billion by the end of this year, adding that the two countries are steadily advancing toward a $40 billion trade target.
In a New Year message, Ertas said Türkiye and the U.K. had left behind a busy and productive year in terms of bilateral relations.
Ertas recalled that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held numerous contacts with their counterparts throughout the year.
He noted that Starmer’s visit to Türkiye in October marked the first visit by a U.K. prime minister in eight years.
He also said parliamentary diplomacy intensified during the year.
Ertas highlighted the signing of an agreement by the two countries’ defense ministers for the procurement of Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft from the U.K. as one of the year’s key developments.
He also recalled that the process for purchasing 12 C130J military transport aircraft from the U.K. was completed during the year.
He said efforts led by Türkiye’s National Defense Ministry would soon add this capability to the country, adding that cooperation with the U.K. in the defense industry would be prioritized at a time when global, particularly European, defense spending is increasing.
Ertas said that during the latest meeting between Erdogan and Starmer in Ankara, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to the $40 billion trade volume target.
He added that the U.K. continues to rank among Türkiye’s top three export markets.
He noted that numerous trade delegations from different regions and sectors of Türkiye were hosted in the UK during the year.
According to Ertas, bilateral trade volume had approached last year’s $22 billion level as of November.
He said exports of goods to the U.K. are expected to reach $16 billion, total goods trade volume to exceed $23 billion, and overall trade volume, including services, to surpass $30 billion.
Ertas also said one of the year’s significant developments was the launch of negotiations to update the Free Trade Agreement.
He noted that three rounds of talks were held during the year under the leadership of Türkiye’s Trade Ministry.
He said the negotiations cover areas such as e-commerce, consultancy services, sustainability, green transformation, agriculture and customs regulations, with the participation of numerous Turkish institutions.
He added that the goal is to establish a modern and comprehensive economic cooperation framework between the two countries.
Ertas said support was provided throughout the year for events aimed at enabling Turkish technology startups to access financing and markets in London, noting that the Türkiye-U.K. Science and Innovation Week hosted by TUBITAK in January marked the beginning of a new phase.
He said multiple meetings and events were held under the leadership of the Treasury and Finance Ministry and the Presidency’s Investment and Finance Office to increase foreign investment and financing opportunities for Türkiye.
Ertas said two forums were organized under the leadership of the Trade Ministry, with support from the Turkish Contractors Association, to enhance cooperation in third countries, particularly in sustainable infrastructure projects.
He said the positive trend in tourism continued in 2025, adding that although final figures are not yet available, the number of visitors from the U.K. to Türkiye is expected to be close to 2024 levels.
He said the target for 2026 is to host 4.5 million tourists from the U.K.
Ertas said contacts with the U.K. parliament, authorities, civil society, media, academia and think tanks continued intensively throughout the year.
He said Türkiye’s representation and promotion efforts were carried out jointly with three Turkish consulates general, the London Yunus Emre Institute, Turkish associations and the Turkish community.
Ertas said cooperation would continue in the coming period to further develop Türkiye-U.K. relations in line with Türkiye’s interests and the expectations of the Turkish community, expressing his thanks to the Turkish community for their support and wishing health and well-being for 2026.
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