Türkiye is “imperative” to British security interests across Europe and on NATO’s eastern flank and remains a key defense and strategic partner, the U.K. government said Tuesday in a newly published policy paper.
In its National Security Strategy 2025: Security for the British People in a Dangerous World, the U.K. emphasized Türkiye’s strategic geography and expanding cooperation in the military and defense sectors.
“At the crossroads between the Black Sea, the Caucasus, the Middle East, and Africa, Türkiye is imperative to U.K. security interests across Europe and on NATO’s flanks,” the paper stated, highlighting “strong military integration and defense industrial collaboration” with Ankara.
The strategy document reflects growing Western concern over global security and instability, citing threats from authoritarian regimes, hybrid warfare, and rapidly shifting geopolitical dynamics.
The paper also issued a stark warning: For the first time in decades, the UK must prepare for the possibility of direct threats to its homeland, potentially in the context of a wartime scenario.
“For the first time in many years, we have to actively prepare for the possibility of the U.K. homeland coming under direct threat, potentially in a wartime scenario,” the review said, calling for enhanced readiness and resilience across the military, civil defense, and energy sectors.
The strategy underscores closer alignment with NATO priorities, including joint procurement, defense modernization, and collaboration with key allies, among them, Türkiye, which has been a NATO member for over 70 years and hosts the alliance’s second-largest military.
