The Prime Minister spoke to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an this evening to discuss UK-Turkey cooperation and the global response to the conflict in Ukraine.
They shared their deep concern at the ongoing Russian onslaught on Ukraine and its far-reaching consequences for the security and stability of the Euro-Atlantic region and wider world.
The Prime Minister welcomed Turkey’s leading role in addressing the crisis, and they agreed to work together to unlock vital supply routes for Ukrainian grain stocks and alleviate rising global food prices.
On the issue of NATO expansion, the Prime Minister highlighted the threat posed by Russia to its European neighbours and emphasised that Finland and Sweden would be valuable additions to the NATO alliance.
He encouraged President Erdo?an to work with Swedish, Finnish and NATO counterparts to address any concerns ahead of the summit in Madrid next month, and said the UK stands ready to support.
The leaders also welcomed the UK and Turkey’s growing defence, security and trade partnership. The Prime Minister noted that trade between our two countries increased by £3bn last year and could be further strengthened.
The Prime Minister and President Erdo?an looked forward to meeting in person at the earliest opportunity.