Theresa May arrived in Turkey to begin talks about a post-Brexit free trade deal. She is pictured here meeting President Erdogan

Theresa May today signed a fighter jet deal worth up to £100million with Turkey.

During a visit to Ankara, the Prime Minister announced that the UK's BAE Systems will work with Turkish Aerospace Industries on the fighter plane programme, known as TF-X.

Mrs May - who was also seeking to make progress on a post-Brexit trade deal with Turkey - unveiled the deal flanked by the country's Prime Minister, Binali Yıldırım.

She declared: 'This agreement underlines once again that Britain is a great, global, trading nation and that we are open for business.

'It marks the start of a new and deeper trading relationship with Turkey and will potentially secure British and Turkish jobs and prosperity for decades to come.'

It is hoped Britain could win contracts to provide engines, weapons, radars and sensors.

Ankara is the latest leg of Mrs May's 10,842 mile trip between Britain, America and Turkey to drum up trade post-Brexit.

Mrs May earlier met its controversial president Tayyip Erdogan, after flying into Turkey in her way from historic talks with President Trump in the White House.

Civil rights groups have been piling pressure on Mrs May to tackle President Erdogan head-on over human rights abuses.

Theresa May and Tayyip Erdogan (sitting down nearest to camera on the right) sit down at the Presidential Palace in Ankara

Theresa May has clocked up 10,842 miles in the last two days travelling between Britain, the USA and Turkey to discuss post-Brexit trade deals

Mrs May speaks at a press conference in Ankara after meeting with President Erdogan

Mrs May's lunch with Mr Erdogan at the presidential palace started about an hour late after their talks went on longer than expected

Mrs May glances over at Prince Minister Binali Yıldırım as they speak together at a press conference

Theresa May flanked by advisers Nick Timothy (left) and Fiona Hill (fourth from left)

Fiona Hill glances over at the Prime Minister during the dinner in the presidential palace

This will be the 13th working group she has set up with other countries since June's referendum, although formal trade negotiations cannot begin until Britain leaves the EU

He has jailed thousands of people, including journalists, in a crackdown after a failed coup against him last year.

The jet deal was put on hold last August as Britain assessed the ferocity of President Erdogan's response to the attempt to bring him down.

But Mrs May said it was now getting the green light to proceed.

BAE Systems Chief Executive, Ian King, said the deal could 'pave the way for a deeper defence partnership and could effectively make the UK Turkey's partner of choice, positioning it as a key aerospace technology exporter to Turkey.'

Mrs May is also expected to set up a working group to look at lifting trade barriers with Turkey. It is the 13th country she will have begun working with in this way since Brexit.

In response to human rights questions about Turkey, No10 has repeatedly stated that It is an important strategic ally, both as a member of NATO and in working to stem the tide of migration into Europe over the past two years.

Her meetings with President Erdogan will also focus on security and counter-terrorism, particularly the fight against Isis in Syria and Iraq

Since it crushed a coup attempt in July, Mr Erdogan's government has closed media outlets and sacked thousands of public officials, including judges, academics and teachers

The two leaders walk together following a meeting at the presidential palace in Ankara

Earlier, Mrs May laid a wreath at the tomb of Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the modern Turkish republic.

Dressed in sombre black, the PM bowed her head in respect after laying the large red and white wreath - the colours of Turkey's flag - before Ataturk's sarcophagus inside the imposing mausoleum building which perches on a hill in the centre of Ankara.

Mrs May then signed her name in the visitors' book, beneath the message: 'It is a great honour to visit this special place of remembrance to the founding father of modern Turkey.

'Let us together renew our efforts to fulfil Ataturk's vision of peace at home and peace in the world.'

British Prime Minister Theresa May, centre, walks during a visit to the mausoleum of Turkey's founding father Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, in Ankara

Dressed in sombre black, the PM bowed her head in respect after laying a large red and white wreath - the colours of Turkey's flag - before Ataturk's sarcophagus

Ataturk was the founder of the republic of Turkey and served as its first President from 1923 until his death in 1938

Mrs May bows her head in front of the tomb of Ataturk, as two uniformed soldiers stand guard

Ataturk's imposing mausoleum building is perched on a hill in the centre of Ankara

Mrs May then signed her name in the visitors' book, beneath the message: 'It is a great honour to visit this special place of remembrance to the founding father of modern Turkey'

A British Government Land Rover flying a union flag drives through Ankara at the start of Theresa May's visit

THERESA MAY RAISES HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES AFTER UPROAR FROM CAMPAIGNERS The Prime Minister's arrival in Turkey seemed a much more sombre affair than her wildly friendly trip to the White House Theresa May today challenged the grim faced president of Turkey over the country's human rights record. Sitting alongside President Erdogan during a visit to Ankara, the Prime Minister said his country must 'sustain democracy by maintaining the rule of law and upholding its human rights obligations.' Mrs May arrived in Ankara this morning after a direct flight by RAF Voyager jet from Washington, where she became the first foreign leader to meet President Trump. The Prime Minister's arrival in Turkey seemed a much more sombre affair than her wildly friendly trip to the White House, where she was pictured holding President Trump's hand as they walked through the grounds. The Prime Minister arrived at the presidential palace to find her own image dominating television screens, which were showing footage of her visit to the White House. As she sat down to begin talks, the controversial Turkish president pointed out the footage playing on a huge TV screen. 'It was well covered in Turkey,' an aide to the president explained, as Mrs May laughed in surprise. Mr Erdogan asked how the weather in Ankara - currently under a light coating of snow - compared to Washington. 'Here is colder,' she replied. During the visit, the two leaders will set up a working group to allow officials to discuss the groundwork of a free trade agreement. Mrs May was flying direct from Washington last night where she met President Donald Trump during a wildly friendly visit This will be the 13th working group Mrs May has set up with other countries since June's referendum, although formal trade negotiations cannot begin until Britain leaves the EU. Mrs May's lunch with Mr Erdogan at the presidential palace started about an hour late after their talks went on longer than expected. The Prime Minister is under pressure to condemn Turkey's clampdown on civil liberties since the crushing of a coup attempt in July. Turkey has detained tens of thousands of people suspected of links to a movement led by U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who the government accuses of orchestrating the failed coup. More than 100,000 others have been dismissed from government jobs. The crackdown extended to other government opponents. More than a hundred journalists and pro-Kurdish party leaders are in jail. Advertisement