British PM Theresa May meets Turkish President Erdogan on post-Brexit trade mission
The two countries have agreed to carry out the groundwork for a trade deal when the UK eventually leaves the EU - but the PM's already under pressure to raise human rights issues
Theresa May has flown to Turkey 'on a trade mission' to discuss post- Brexit opportunities with President Erdogan .
As the British PM touched down in Ankara this morning, Downing Street made a surprise announcement that the UK and Turkey have agreed terms on what could eventually become a groundbreaking deal.
The two countries have agreed to set up a new joint working group to carry out the groundwork for a trade deal when the UK eventually leaves the EU .
Mrs May is only in Turkey for less than 24 hours and set for talks with both the country's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and PM Binali Yildirim - but she's already under pressure already to raise the issue of human rights.
The PM's arrival - straight from her White House meeting with US president Donald Trump - comes at a tense moment, with Turkey threatening to tear up a migration agreement it has with Greece.
It's been endangered by a row which has broken out over Greece's refusal to extradite troops allegedly involved in last year's botched coup.
The PM is under pressure to confront Mr Erdogan over human rights, following his crackdown on dissent in the wake of the coup, which has seen a wave of arrests, the closure of numerous media outlets and the removal of thousands of public officials - including judges, academics and teachers - from their jobs.
Amnesty International said the human rights situation has "deteriorated markedly" during the state of emergency imposed by Mr Erdogan.
The organisation's UK director Kate Allen said the visit was a "vital opportunity" for Mrs May to ask "probing questions" about allegations of excessive use of force and ill-treatment in detention.
Downing Street was unable to confirm whether human rights would be raised during the talks, though aides did not rule it out.
"The Prime Minister's approach is quite clear - she thinks it's important, and in the UK's national interest, to engage with Turkey on a range of issues, from defence and security co-operation to capitalising on trade opportunities," said a Number 10 source.\
"We have already expressed our strong support for Turkey's democracy and institutions following the coup - but we have also been clear that we urge Turkey to ensure that their response is proportionate, justified and in line with international human rights obligations."
Number 10 said Mrs May was keen to take advantage of the opportunities for increased trade with Turkey that will become available after Britain's exit from the EU.
Already, working groups have been set up with around a dozen countries around the globe to pave the way for free trade agreements, though formal negotiations cannot take place until the UK has left the EU.
