Türkiye-United Kingdom Security and Defense Partnership (2026)

A Security and Defense Partnership between the Republic of Türkiye and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, signed on 8 July 2026 on the margins of the 36th NATO Summit of Heads of State and Government held in Ankara. The document was signed following a bilateral meeting between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

^{President Erdoğan and UK Prime Minister Starmer sign the Security and Defense Partnership Document, 8 July 2026 – (Anadolu Ajansı)}

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan continued his bilateral engagements within the framework of the 36th NATO Summit of Heads of State and Government, hosted by Türkiye at the Presidential Complex, and held a closed-door meeting withUK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Accompanying President Erdoğan during the meeting were Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan, Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler, Deputy Chairman and Spokesperson of the AK Party Ömer Çelik, Head of the National Intelligence Organization Ibrahim Kalın, Director of the Presidency of Communications Burhanettin Duran, and Presidential Advisor for Foreign Policy and Security Akif Çağatay Kılıç. Following the meeting, President Erdoğan and Prime Minister Starmer signed bilateral agreements, including the Document on Security and Defense Partnership between the Republic of Türkiye and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

^{At the Presidential Complex, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer met during the 36th NATO Summit of Heads of State and Government, 8 July 2026 – (Anadolu Agency)}

The partnership aims to deepen political and military consultations and enhance cooperation between Türkiye and the United Kingdom through new mechanisms in the following areas: deterrence and defense, military cooperation, defense industry and technology, cybersecurity and hybrid threats, counterterrorism, resilience and civil preparedness, and space.

The partnership was established to strengthen and institutionalize security and defense cooperation between Türkiye and the United Kingdom. The parties commit to continuing their cooperation within the framework ofNATO, increasing defense expenditures, and conducting joint efforts to develop capabilities required by the Alliance, in line with the principles of allied solidarity and shared responsibility. The partnership also affirms the parties’ commitment to each other’s defense and to their obligations under the North Atlantic Treaty.

According to the statement issued by the Presidency of Communications, President Erdoğan emphasized the importance of cooperation and close dialogue between Türkiye and the United Kingdom, and stated that both countries would continue to advance their relations through new steps in this new phase.

Erdoğan noted that global developments underscore the need to preserve NATO’s role in collective security and to safeguard the Transatlantic Bond, and stressed the necessity of including non-European Union allies in EU defense initiatives. The statement also confirmed that the leaders signed the Document on Security and Defense Partnership between the Republic of Türkiye and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland during their meeting.