Lord Vernon Coaker, U.K. minister of state for defense, hailed Türkiye's place in NATO. "NATO is Türkiye," Coaker told Anadolu Agency (AA) in an interview on Tuesday, underlining Ankara's pivotal role in the alliance and signaling a stronger strategic partnership as the U.K. links its defense diplomacy more closely with industrial and economic cooperation.
Speaking on the sidelines of the launch of the Defense Ministry's 2026 Defense Diplomacy Strategy, Coaker highlighted close and regular engagement with Türkiye, stressing that the U.K. "respects enormously" the country's contribution to NATO operations. He also pointed to a recent fighter jet agreement between the two countries as a milestone in strengthening defense-industrial cooperation.
Defense Minister Yaşar Güler arrived in London on Tuesday, and the third implementation document of the Typhoon jet agreement is set to be signed on Wednesday. Last year, Türkiye signed an 8 billion pounds ($10.7 billion) deal with the U.K. to buy 20 Eurofighter Typhoon jets.
Britain, a leading partner in the Eurofighter program, has been Türkiye's most vocal supporter, and the agreement followed months of negotiations between the two capitals after Türkiye overcame a German veto on the sale in 2024.
"We work very closely with Türkiye," Coaker said, highlighting a relationship that has rapidly ascended to the top of Whitehall's priority list. "We understand its importance, and we respect it enormously for the work that it does within NATO. So that's good. And we were very pleased with the fighter jet deal that's been done. We will work with them to deliver our shared objectives."
At the heart of the U.K.'s newly launched strategy lies the "NATO First" principle. The document reaffirms that the North Atlantic alliance remains the "unshakeable foundation" of British security, though the 2026 strategy introduces a more pragmatic edge to this commitment.
Under "NATO First," the U.K. is not merely seeking collective defense; it is looking to bolster the alliance's "industrial resilience" by deepening ties with its most capable members.
The strategy document reinforces this direction, positioning the defense ministry as a primary "engine for growth." It explicitly cites the recent "record-breaking" fighter jet agreement with Türkiye as the benchmark for future engagements.