British Prime Minister Theresa May will visit Turkey on Saturday and meet President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, a spokesman said on Tuesday, as the British leader seeks to prepare for post-Brexit trade deals.

The visit will be May's first to Turkey as prime minister and she is expected to fly directly to Ankara from the United States, the Downing Street spokesman said.

May is planning talks with senior Republicans in Philadelphia on Thursday and then U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Friday in what will be his first meeting as president with a foreign leader.

May is making preparations for Britain to leave the European Union but has said she wants her country to be "truly global" and has started talks on possible trade deals with several countries including Turkey.