The British Chamber of Commerce in Türkiye (BCCT) shed light on the future of economic cooperation between the two countries through the “Türkiye–United Kingdom Strategic Trade and Investment Forum” it hosted in London.
Attended by Daniel Zeichner MP, the United Kingdom’s Trade Envoy to Türkiye, the forum—held at the Residence of the Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye in the United Kingdom under the auspices of Ambassador Koray Ertaş—brought together business leaders, economists, and policymakers on a single platform. In addition to bilateral trade and investment relations, the transformative impact of AI-driven competition on the global economy was comprehensively addressed.
The forum began with opening remarks by Ambassador Koray Ertaş. In his speech, he emphasized the strategic importance of economic relations between Türkiye and the United Kingdom, stating: “The strong economic partnership between Türkiye and the United Kingdom will continue to deepen further in areas such as digitalization, green transformation, and innovation, creating new opportunities.”
The program continued with remarks by BCCT Chair Chris Gaunt, OBE, and Saif Malik, CEO of Standard Chartered UK.
In his speech, BCCT Chair Chris Gaunt, OBE, underlined the growing strength of the strategic partnership between Türkiye and the United Kingdom, stating:
“Türkiye and the United Kingdom are not only strong partners in terms of trade volume, but also complementary economies in innovation, technology, and sustainable growth. In the coming period, we believe that investments particularly focused on digital transformation, green finance, and artificial intelligence will further advance this cooperation. As BCCT, we will continue to contribute to strategic partnerships that create lasting value between the two countries.”
During the panels held as part of the event, trade, investment, and technology cooperation between the two countries were evaluated from multiple dimensions.
In the first panel titled “Strengthening the Türkiye–United Kingdom Trade, Investment and Technology Corridor,” financing instruments, infrastructure investments, and innovation ecosystems came to the forefront. The panel also discussed in detail the adaptation of the Free Trade Agreement to the digital age, its impact on trade flows, and the role of green finance and public–private partnerships. Smart manufacturing, digitalization in logistics, and energy transition were also among the prominent topics.
The Future of Competition: Talent, Technology, and Artificial Intelligence
The second panel, titled “Preparing the Türkiye–United Kingdom Economic Corridor for the Future,” focused on talent management, education, and technology.
The panel addressed the impact of artificial intelligence and digital transformation on education and research, highlighting in particular the international and hybrid learning model of Tarabya British Schools, as well as Oxford’s research excellence and its approach grounded in technology ethics.
Participants emphasized the role of these two models in cultivating globally competitive, future-ready individuals, while also evaluating opportunities for collaboration between Türkiye and the United Kingdom in talent, STEM, and innovation ecosystems. The critical importance of building strong bridges between academia and industry in creating sustainable talent pipelines was also underlined.
A Strong Message for Strategic Cooperation
The forum demonstrated a strong commitment to deepening trade and investment relations between Türkiye and the United Kingdom, accelerating technology-driven growth, and fostering sustainable economic cooperation.
Following the forum, a reception was held, offering participants the opportunity to establish new business connections and further strengthen commercial ties between the two countries.
The event was held with the contributions of Standard Chartered, HSBC, TBS, and Guden Solicitors.
Program:
Welcome Remarks:
H.E. O. Koray Ertaş, Turkish Ambassador to the UK
Christopher Gaunt O.B.E., Chairman, British Chamber of Commerce in Türkiye Saif Malik, CEO UK, Standard Chartered Bank
Panel I: Strengthening the Türkiye–UK Trade, Investment & Technology Corridor
Key Themes:
* Financing tools for bilateral trade, infrastructure, and innovation
* Upgrading the UK–Türkiye Free Trade Agreement (FTA) for the digital era. It's impact on
bilateral Trade and Investment Flows
* Public–private partnerships in technology and green finance
* Smart manufacturing, logistics digitalisation, and energy transition
Moderator: Faruq Muhammed, CFA, Standard Chartered Bank
Panelists:
Melis Metiner, Senior Economist, CEEMEA, HSBC
Vomic Nur Shah, Global Head of Origination & Client Coverage at UK
Export Finance (UKEF) - TBC
Ersoy Erkazancı, UK Country Advisor, Investment and Finance Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye
Ali Güden, Partner, Guden Solicitors
Panel II: Future-Proofing the Türkiye–UK Economic Corridor: Talent, Technology & AI-Driven Competitiveness
Key Themes:
* AI and digital transformation in education and research
* UK–Türkiye collaboration on skills, STEM and innovation ecosystems
* Global best practices in international schooling and hybrid learning –
Tarabya British Schools model
* The Oxford model – nurturing global leaders through research excellence
and technology ethics
* Bridging academia and industry to build future-ready talent pipelines
Moderator: Fatih Aydın, Chair, Oxford Türkiye Alumni Society & Advisory Board Member, BCCT
Panelists:
Pınar Özcan, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Oxford and Academic Director of the Oxford Entrepreneurship Centre and the Oxford Future of Finance and Technology Initiative
Başak Akdemir, Chair, Glenalmond College
Steve Phillips, Vice-Chair of the Board and Head of External Relations at Tarabya
British Schools
Salvador Vazquez, Head of Android Partnerships, Northern Europe (UK, Nordics), Google