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Service Industries: Turkey

Asked by Mr Joshua ReynoldsLiberal DemocratDepartment for Business and TradeTabled Answered 23 December 2025UIN 100697

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential value to the UK economy of enhanced services trade provisions in the UK-Turkey Free Trade Agreement; what specific barriers to UK services exports to Turkey are being addressed in the negotiations referenced in his written ministerial statement of 11 December 2025; and what recent developments have taken place in negotiations regarding mutual recognition of professional qualifications.

Answered by Chris Bryant

Detailed economic scoping analysis of an upgraded UK-Turkey FTA was published in March 2024. A full Impact Assessment will be published upon the completion of negotiations.

In the four quarters to the end of Q2 2025, UK-Turkey bilateral services trade was worth £7.7 billion, with UK exports comprising £3.4 billion. Despite this strong performance, Turkey is a relatively restrictive services export market, with an above-average OECD Services Trade Restrictiveness Index scoring. We are seeking to ease this restrictiveness, providing improved market access and greater legal certainty for UK services exporters, including through provisions on recognition of professional qualifications.

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