Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will embark on a two-day official visit to the UK on Thursday, where he is expected to hold talks with UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, members of the UK Parliament, and other officials, according to diplomatic sources.
During his visit to London, Fidan is also expected to deliver remarks at an event hosted by the University of Oxford Global History Centre and the Global Order Program and meet with members of the Turkish community and business representatives living in the UK.
The sources said Fidan is expected to express satisfaction with the positive trajectory of relations between Türkiye and the UK and discuss joint efforts to expand existing cooperation and deepen ties in a multidimensional manner.
He will likely also emphasise the importance of completing negotiations to update the current Free Trade Agreement to increase bilateral trade volume.
Fidan is expected to emphasise that the nearly 500,000-strong Turkish community in the UK represents one of the most important elements strengthening human, cultural and economic ties between the two countries.
Diplomatic sources say the foreign minister is likely to raise concerns about delays in the processing of indefinite residency applications for Turkish citizens and convey expectations for swift action to address the issue.
The talks are also expected to underscore the strong political will to enhance defence industry cooperation and deepen collaboration in the energy sector, including nuclear and renewable energy.
UK Türkiye’s second-largest export market
During the talks, Fidan will stress the importance of EU security and defence initiatives being conducted in close coordination with NATO, according to the sources.
Regional developments are also expected to feature prominently, including ongoing negotiations between Iran and the US mediated by Pakistan, developments related to the Strait of Hormuz, and diplomatic efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine War with a just and sustainable peace.
Fidan is anticipated to also emphasise the need for a principled, determined and unified international stance against Israel's actions undermining the Gaza ceasefire and two-state solution prospects, as well as the importance of keeping the humanitarian situation in Palestine at the forefront of the international agenda and the critical importance of encouraging initiatives that promote long-term stability and reconstruction in Syria.
The visit follows recent high-level contacts between the two countries.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited Türkiye on October 27 2025, where he met with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and agreements were signed finalising Türkiye’s procurement of Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft.
Fidan last visited London on October 30 2024, and attended a Ukraine-focused meeting hosted by the UK in London on March 2–3 of last year. He also met with Cooper on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum last Saturday.
The UK remains one of Türkiye’s leading trade partners. Bilateral trade volume reached $26 billion in 2025, with both sides aiming to increase it to $30 billion, diplomatic sources said.
The UK became Türkiye’s second-largest export market in 2025 and remained among the top three in foreign investment and tourism. Between 2002 and 2025, British investments in Türkiye reached $14.5 billion, while Turkish investments in the UK totaled $3.5 billion. In 2025, 4.3 million tourists from the UK visited Türkiye.
Negotiations to expand the scope of the current Free Trade Agreement between the two countries are ongoing, with completion targeted in 2026, according to diplomatic sources.
