British Consul General in Istanbul David Reed emphasizes strategic depth in relations with Türkiye

Relations between Türkiye and the United Kingdom have recently been progressing with new cooperation topics in different fields such as trade, defence, technology and energy.

While the Strategic Partnership Framework Document signed between the two countries in April was followed by the Security and Defense Partnership Agreement in July, negotiations to expand the scope of the existing Free Trade Agreement continue.

David Reed MBE, Consul General of the United Kingdom in Istanbul and Commissioner for Eastern Europe-Central Asia Trade, who took office in April this year, also evaluates the current state of relations between the two countries with an emphasis on "strategic depth" in his first video interview in Türkiye.

"WE ADDED STRATEGIC DEPTH TO OUR RELATIONSHIPS"

Stating that Turkey and the United Kingdom have been NATO allies for a long time and that the two countries have been working closely, Reed confirmed that the global environment has become more challenging and crises have increased in the last 5-10 years, and that the importance of trust-based partnerships in such environments has increased even more. Reed made the following assessment of Türkiye-United Kingdom relations:

"I think what's really interesting about the UK-Turkey relationship is how we add strategic depth to our work together. Both the Strategic Partnership Framework Document signed in April and the Security and Defense Partnership Agreement signed by our Prime Minister and President Erdoğan in July are extremely important."

Reed stated that the two countries cooperate in the fields of trade and investment, science and technology and energy, as well as security and defense, and said that these areas mutually strengthen each other.

"What we do together in the field of economy contributes to our security goals, and what we do in the field of security contributes to the economy," said Reed, adding that this cooperation creates concrete benefits for the people of the two countries.

"THE TRADE VOLUME BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES INCREASED BY 4 PERCENT AND MORE ON ANNUAL BASIS"

One of the most important agenda items in the economic relations between the two countries is the expansion of the Türkiye-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement, which came into force after Brexit.

While the current agreement mainly covers trade in goods, the ongoing negotiations aim to include areas such as services, investment and digital trade in the new agreement.

Reed stated that the total trade volume between the two countries is around 28.4 billion pounds, according to the latest data available, and is increasing by 4 percent or more on an annual basis. However, he pointed out that the current economic structure can no longer be evaluated only through trade in goods.

"I think the service sector makes the biggest contribution to the economies of both Turkey and the United Kingdom," said Reed, adding that they expect the modernized agreement to create new opportunities for Turkish and United Kingdom companies, facilitate trade, remove some barriers and increase predictability.

Speaking about the point reached in the negotiations, Reed stated that five rounds have been completed and 11 chapters have been closed, and that the sixth round will be held in London soon.

Stating that issues such as public procurement, intellectual property, investment and digital trade are being worked on, Reed noted that after the completion of the agreement, the main process will begin with companies taking advantage of the emerging opportunities.

"EUROFIGHTER AGREEMENT WAS DESIGNED COMPREHENSIVELY FROM THE BEGINNING"

One of the most prominent topics in the relations between Türkiye and the United Kingdom recently is the defense industry.

Stating that the Eurofighter Typhoon agreement should not be evaluated solely on the supply of warplanes, Reed said that the agreement is one of the largest defense agreements of recent years and a "landmark".

"But from the beginning it was intended to be comprehensive. So it wasn't just the supply of aircraft; maintenance, training, supply chains and technology were all part of it," Reed additionally said.

Stating that this is an indicator of the trust-based relationship between Türkiye and the United Kingdom, Reed said that they want to further grow this partnership over time.

According to Reed, who stated that Turkish companies have established partnerships with British companies on innovative technologies, one of the next important areas is to carry these collaborations to third country markets.

Drawing attention to the agreement between Türk Eximbank and UK Export and Finance (UKEF), Reed said, "We can bring Turkish and British companies together, support them through financing and help them export to third countries."

"THERE IS A 'PERFECT COMPLEMENTARY' BETWEEN THE CAPABILITIES OF COMPANIES FROM THE TWO COUNTRIES"

So where is the biggest opportunity in third countries for Turkish and British companies?

Central Asia, Africa and the Balkans stand out in Reed's answer.

Stating that there is "perfect complementarity" between the capabilities of Turkish and British companies, Reed said that the UK's engineering, digital design and project management; He stated that Turkey is strong in construction and project leadership.

Noting that Turkey has strong connections in some markets that are considered more challenging, Reed said that combining these capabilities with the support of UK Export and Finance can create a strong offer in international tenders.

Reed stated that there are examples of this model in different countries; He cited bridge construction in Ukraine, a new highway system in Serbia and water infrastructure projects in Iraq as examples.

"I see a huge potential especially in Central Asia, Africa and the Balkans," said Reed, adding that as the Trade Commissioner, Central Asia is also in his area of ​​responsibility and that he has intense contacts in countries such as Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.

Reed stated that Turkish and British companies could increase their chances of winning contracts in these markets by acting together.

Türkiye-UNITED KINGDOM COOPERATION MESSAGE IN SMR

One of the areas that can grow in the economic and strategic cooperation of the two countries is energy.

While Turkey has a target of reaching at least 5 GW small modular reactor capacity by 2053, the United Kingdom continues its efforts to implement Rolls-Royce SMR technology.

Reed said that there is complementarity between Turkey's goals of diversifying its energy supply, increasing its renewable energy capacity, strengthening energy security and developing its industrial base and the United Kingdom's capabilities in SMR.

Stating that the SMR technology developed by Rolls-Royce is progressing from the concept stage to implementation, Reed drew attention to the agreement between Rolls-Royce and Great British Energy Nuclear in the United Kingdom for the implementation of the first small modular reactors.

"Türkiye CAN BE A STARTING POINT TO OPEN UP TO THIRD COUNTRY MARKETS"

One of Reed's remarkable evaluations regarding Turkey regarding SMR was that the cooperation may not be limited to the Turkish market only.

"It is one of the areas where there is real potential for the United Kingdom and Türkiye to work together," said Reed, adding that this cooperation can be developed both in Turkey and in third country markets.

Reed stated that Turkey can be considered as a starting point for opening up to some third country markets.

Stating that the two countries' partnership in the field of energy already has examples in solar energy, Reed said that British and Turkish companies are working together in the two largest solar energy facilities in Turkey.

Reed pointed out the need to diversify energy sources and increase energy security and stated that the current partnership in the field of energy can be taken further.

"IT WILL FEEL LIKE A SECOND INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION"

Another agenda item of the interview was the economic effects of COP31 and green transformation, which Turkey will host in Antalya in November.

Stating that COP31 will be held in a critical period, Reed said that the summit can ensure not only the implementation of climate targets but also the demonstration of new technologies that will be part of the solution.

Stating that countries that can introduce technologies such as solar energy, offshore wind energy and small modular reactors, as well as modernize their electrical networks and energy systems, will have a significant competitive advantage, Reed made a remarkable assessment of the economic dimension of green transformation:

"I think there's a huge economic opportunity. This will feel like a massive second industrial revolution."

Reed stated that there are important opportunities for countries that can finance the green transformation, support the spread of new technologies, create new employment and export these technologies to third country markets, and said, "We want to be a part of this here in Turkey."

"TURKISH LANGUAGE ALLOWS ME TO RE-DISCOVER Türkiye"

In the last part of the interview, Reed answered İrem Kuşoğlu Görgü's questions in Turkish and explained that his encounter with Turkish dates back 27 years.

Stating that he started learning Turkish while preparing to serve in Northern Cyprus, Reed said that he stayed with Turkish families in Istanbul and Izmir during this period.

Stating that he agrees that knowing a language is important in understanding a country and society, Reed stated that speaking Turkish enables him to understand Türkiye's cultural heritage and establish relationships with people more easily.

Reed said, "Speaking a language can be very useful in understanding a culture, a country, a society. Because it is much easier to understand cultural heritage and establish friendships by speaking the language."

Stating that he wants to improve his Turkish practice, Reed said that he wants to rediscover the country by using the language more during the time he will spend in Türkiye.

DOES IT SUPPORT ISTANBUL TEAMS?

Reed, who was reminded that foreign diplomats working in Türkiye sometimes express their preferences for Istanbul clubs, was also asked which Turkish team he supports.

Stating that he loves football very much and wants to watch as many matches as possible during his time in Türkiye, Reed said that he visited Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray stadiums and watched a Beşiktaş match before.

Stating that he was impressed by the football atmosphere in Türkiye, Reed said, "I was very impressed by how dynamic and how noisy the environment was."

However, stating that he will remain committed to Portsmouth regarding his team choice, Reed said, "I think you should have only one team in life and there is only one team in my heart. It is not a very successful team, but it is my family's team; my grandfather's, my father's and my team. That's why my team remains Portsmouth."

Reed also said that he would be pleased to watch as many matches as possible during his time in Istanbul.

"Türkiye'S SOFT POWER IS INCREASING"

Türkiye's soft power, that is, its cultural visibility, which has increased in recent years through television series, cinema and music, is a highly talked about topic.

Evaluating Türkiye's cultural influence in the United Kingdom, Reed pointed out that Turkish TV series are becoming increasingly visible on international digital platforms.

"In my opinion, Türkiye's soft power is increasing as time goes by," said Reed, adding that there are many Turkish TV series on digital platforms and that these productions are high quality and popular.

Reed stated that the TV series "Olive Tree" is among the Turkish productions he is currently watching, and that he liked the story of the series and Ayvalık, where the series is set.

"BEFORE COME TO Türkiye, I WATCHED NURİ BİLGE CEYLAN MOVIES"

Stating that he also follows Turkish cinema, Reed said that he watched Nuri Bilge Ceylan's films before coming to Türkiye.

Stating that he was especially impressed by the movie "Winter Sleep", Reed said that the scenes and dialogues of the movie were remarkable and that he would recommend the movie to his friends.

Reed pointed out that Turkish productions increased the interest in Türkiye and stated that he wanted to visit Cappadocia.

Stating that Türkiye's cultural production has become an increasingly important factor in terms of the country's soft power, Reed said that this effect has increased over time.