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![\"T\u00fcrkiye-UK](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/6944f571fd291e546bdb73dc.jpg\")
<\/p>\n ISTANBUL
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A free trade<\/a> agreement between T\u00fcrkiye<\/a> and the United Kingdom is expected to enter force in the second half of 2026, the chair of the British Chamber of Commerce in T\u00fcrkiye told state-run Anadolu Agency.<\/p>\n \u201cEverything is in the right direction, and the potential in T\u00fcrkiye is very high,\u201d Chris Gaunt said on Dec. 18, noting that the U.K. is attractive for exporters, particularly tech startups, and T\u00fcrkiye is equally attractive for U.K. firms.<\/p>\n Gaunt said the process has entered its third stage.<\/p>\n The free trade agreement will also expand into new sectors, including fintech and construction technologies, he added.<\/p>\n \u201cTurkish tech companies are going to the U.K. to set up their business, [where they can] access funding and capability, which are also very strong in the U.K.,\u201d he said. \u201cEverybody is focusing on AI, and the U.K. has very strong capability in AI, so it attracts Turkish companies.\u201d<\/p>\n The U.K. is the seventh-largest investor in T\u00fcrkiye, Gaunt said, highlighting the long-standing positive relationship between the two countries.<\/p>\n Trade between T\u00fcrkiye and the U.K. totals 28 billion pounds ($37 billion), according to the U.K. government, making T\u00fcrkiye the U.K.\u2019s 17th-largest trading partner. This trade supports more than 57,000 jobs, according to the latest data.<\/p>\n Gaunt said T\u00fcrkiye currently holds an advantage in the trade balance, estimating that the trade volume consists of 60 percent Turkish exports and 40 percent British exports.<\/p>\n He added that the agreement is expected to further boost trade and help balance overall trade volumes.<\/p>\n \u201cT\u00fcrkiye is a priority market for the U.K., and the agreement will bring more confidence to more investors once it\u2019s signed,\u201d he said. \u201cThe future looks positive.\u201d<\/p>\n