Turkey says free-trade talks with GCC are underway

Turkey is pursuing free trade talks with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), trade minister Omer Bolat has said.

“Free trade negotiations with the GCC are still underway. Our free trade pacts with the UAE and Qatar have already entered into effect,” he told the state-owned Anadolu news agency.

In March 2024 GCC secretary general Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi and Bolat signed a pact to proceed with talks on a free trade agreement (FTA), which will create one of the world’s largest free trade areas worth $2.4 trillion.

The GCC comprises the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman.

Anakara is also continuing negotiations to expand its goods-based FTA with the UK to include the services sector, Bolat said.

The free trade talks to amend the current deal are moving forward, the minister said, with positive progress in areas including digital trade, financial and professional services and investments.

The updated pact is expected to enter into force in the second half of 2026, he said.

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Bolat said more than 176 meetings were held with ministers from over 100 countries in 2025, alongside summits with multilateral organisations.

Turkey is seeking preferential trade agreements with Developing 8 (D8) members, the minister said.

The D-8 group includes Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey.