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Reuters (10 May 2017)

Britain needs to strike a trade deal with Turkey and South Africa as well as with the remainder of the European Union when the country leaves the bloc, Ford's Europe chief said on Wednesday.

"For Ford, it's not only important for the UK's agreement with the 27 countries but equally important are countries like Turkey and South Africa which hasn't really been talked about," Ford of Europe CEO Jim Farley told a London conference.

U.S carmaker Ford, which is Britain's biggest automotive engine builder, makes vans in Turkey, which is not part of the EU but is in the EU customs union.

Farley also said it was looking at how to maintain the free movement of goods and people which could be inhibited under a hard Brexit deal involving tariffs. 

"We are spending a lot of time thinking and talking about how we need to change our operations and what support we need from the government and other entities not only in the UK to make sure friction doesn't get created," he said.

(Reporting by Costas Pitas; editing by Kate Holton)