Readout of the Prime Minister’s call with President Erdogan of Turkey

A Downing Street spokesperson said:

“This evening the Prime Minister spoke to President Erdogan of Turkey to reiterate the UK’s continuing commitment to the bilateral relationship between our two countries and express her wish to deepen co-operation on a range of issues. The Prime Minister particularly underlined the importance of our strong security partnership.

“The Prime Minister and President Erdogan discussed the ongoing Cyprus settlement talks and the Prime Minister reiterated that while there remains an opportunity for an historic agreement to be reached, all parties need to be prepared to take bold steps. She added that the UK stands ready to play a role in seeking a solution.

“On Syria the Prime Minister welcomed the progress made at the Astana talks and praised Turkey’s constructive role in helping to establish de-escalation zones. She underlined the importance of the talks being linked to a broader political process, culminating in a transition of power away from Asad.

“The Prime Minister and President Erdogan welcomed the strength of the UK-Turkey trade relationship and reaffirmed their desire to explore the opportunities presented by Brexit. They noted the progress made towards the signature of a deal between Turkish Aerospace Industries and BAE Systems for the preliminary design phase of the Turkish Fighter, and agreed this was a sign of the deepening defence industry relationship between Turkey and the UK.

“The two leaders looked forward to the upcoming Somalia Conference and the Prime Minister welcomed the substantial contribution Turkey has made, as well as their strong leadership in improving security in Somalia.

“The Prime Minister and President Erdogan concluded by looking forward to meeting at the NATO Summit in Brussels later this month.”