Department for Business and Trade updates on fourth round of UK-Turkey FTA negotiations
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has reported completion of the fourth round of negotiations on an enhanced Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Turkey, held in London during the week of 23 February 2026, and stated that the talks delivered positive and productive progress across a broad range of chapters. Discussions advanced in key technical areas including investment, digital trade, telecommunications, cross‑border trade in services, the movement of business persons, legal services, trade in goods, customs and trade facilitation, and sanitary and phytosanitary measures, as well as in chapters covering intellectual property, government procurement, anti‑corruption, labour, environment, state‑owned enterprises and dispute settlement. DBT highlighted that strengthening trade ties with Turkey supports the government’s priority of economic growth, noting that bilateral trade totalled £28.3bn in the year to September 2025, an increase of 5.8%, while reaffirming that any agreement must align with the UK’s national interests and uphold high standards. It confirmed that a fifth round of negotiations is expected before the summer and that Parliament will continue to be kept informed as discussions progress.