UK, Turkish trade ministers meet in Turkey, announce joint railway deal

LONDON/ANKARA — British Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch traveled to Turkey on Friday to discuss the two countries’ economic ties with a focus on the services sector ahead of formal talks for an updated trade deal later this year.

During the visit, the UK government also announced that it would guarantee 1.2 billion euros ($1.31 billion) in financing for an electric railway project in Turkey’s Ankara region.

Badenoch met with her Turkish counterpart, Omer Bolat, in Istanbul to discuss how to boost UK-Turkey trade ahead of the formal trade talks later this year.

The UK minister also met with senior executives at Turkish Airlines. In December, European aircraft maker Airbus, which has a large presence in the United Kingdom, secured a deal to provide Turkish Airlines with 220 aircraft. The Trade Ministry said in a statement the deal was worth “billions of pounds” and created “thousands of jobs” in the country.