British PM Theresa May talks trade post-Brexit in Turkey visit

Turkey and the United Kingdomplan to sign a free trade deal once Britain leaves the EuropeanUnion, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Saturday.

Yildirim made the comment in a joint news conference with U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May, who was visiting Ankara after a tripto Washington for President Donald Trump's first meeting with a foreign leader.

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In both visits, she has tried to drum uptrade deals for Britain, attempting to strengthen her hand innegotiations to leave the bloc.

During May'svisit to Ankara, Turkey and Britain signed a deal to jointly build fighter jets.Britain's BAE Systems and Turkish Aerospace industries signed the 100 million-pound (nearly $125.5 million US) agreement establishing a partnership for the development of Turkey's fighter jet program.

Yildirim also said the two countries had agreed tostrengthen cooperation in the fight against terrorism.

"The relationship between Turkey and the United Kingdom has always been important, but it is arguably even more vital today, for Turkey sits on the frontline of some of the most difficult and serious challenges we face," May told a media briefing after the meeting.

"This relationship is central to our capacity to tackle the terrorist threat to the U.K. Turkey already does a huge amount to disrupt the threat posed to our countries by terrorists, including foreign fighters leaving Syria. And today we've agreed to strengthen our cooperation on security through a new strategic security partnership.

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"This will help our two governments and security services to work even more closely together in important areas such as intelligence sharing, aviation security and domestic security.This partnership will help Turkey as it grapples with the threat posed by heightened terrorist attacks in this country," she said.

Regional issues cannot be solved byclosing the doors on people. We expect the Western world tolighten Turkey's burden.- Turkish Prime MinisterBinaliYildirim

Trump's sweepingban on people seeking refuge in the United States is no solutionto problems, Yildirim said onSaturday, adding that Western countries should do more to helpease Turkey's refugee burden.

The new Republican president on Friday put a four-month holdon allowing refugees into the United States and temporarilybarred travellers from Syria and six other Muslim-majority countries, although NATO ally Turkey was not among them.

When asked by a reporter about Trump's ban during a jointnews conference with May in Ankara, Yildirim said: "Regional issues cannot be solved byclosing the doors on people. We expect the Western world to
lighten Turkey's burden."

"You can build a wall but it's not a solution. That wallwill come down like the Berlin wall," he said, adding Turkey hasspent some $26 billion on sheltering refugees.

Washington is responsible for itspolicy on refugees, May said at the joint news conferencewhen asked about Trump's ban onpeople from seven Muslim-majority countries seeking refuge in the UnitedStates.

On Sunday, her official spokesman said that May does "not agree" with Trump's order and will challenge the U.S. government if it has an adverse effect on British nationals.