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U.K. Foreign Secretary and Commonwealth and Development Minister David Lammy will pay an official visit to Türkiye on June 30. He is scheduled to meet with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Ankara, as this will be Lammy’s first official bilateral visit to Türkiye in his current role.
According to sources from the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Minister Fidan is expected to emphasize the importance of Ankara's strategic and NATO partnership with the United Kingdom and express satisfaction with the current positive course of bilateral relations.
Both sides aim to further strengthen cooperation across all sectors.
Minister Fidan is expected to highlight the significance of updating the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Türkiye and the United Kingdom to increase the trade volume.
The U.K. is currently Türkiye’s third-largest export market and foreign investor.
In 2024, bilateral trade reached $22 billion, with Türkiye exporting $15.2 billion and importing $6.8 billion. The two countries have set a joint target of $30 billion in trade volume. UK investments in Türkiye stand at $14.2 billion, while Turkish investments in the UK amount to $4.3 billion.
The seventh Joint Economic and Trade Commission (JETCO) meeting was held in Istanbul on January 5, 2024. The next session is expected to take place in London in 2025.
The meeting is expected to underline the role of both countries—non-EU members—in Europe’s defense and security architecture. Minister Fidan is anticipated to stress the need to deepen cooperation in the defense industry amid the evolving global security environment.
Security and counterterrorism coordination between the relevant authorities of both countries is also expected to be addressed as an important element of the bilateral relationship.
FM Fidan is likely to highlight the contribution of nearly 500,000 people of Turkish origin living in the UK to the bilateral relationship. The ministers are expected to reaffirm the importance of sustained dialogue and cooperation on regional and international issues.
The talks will also cover regional developments, including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Foreign Minister Fidan is expected to stress the importance of a lasting solution to the Palestinian issue for regional peace and stability.
The ministers are also likely to express satisfaction with the ceasefire between Iran and Israel and discuss the resumption of nuclear negotiations.
Regarding the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Fidan is expected to emphasize the need for a diplomatic resolution to achieve a just and sustainable peace.
Regarding Syria, discussions are expected to focus on post-sanction cooperation to restore the country’s economic, infrastructure, and human capacity.
Minister Fidan previously visited the U.K. on Oct. 29–30, 2024. The two ministers last met on May 15 during the informal NATO Foreign Ministers’ meeting held in Antalya.
In 2024, the U.K. was also Türkiye’s third-largest tourism market, with approximately 4.4 million British tourists visiting the country.
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