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Ahead of his official visit to Türkiye, the U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy stated that all four Eurofighter partners support the potential sale of Eurofighter Typhoon jets to Türkiye.
In an interview with Turkish media outlet Hurriyet, Lammy noted, "We are confident that all four Eurofighter partners support this sale."
Lammy's remarks come at a time with Türkiye's ongoing negotiations with the Eurofighter consortium, which includes the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and Spain.
Reports have indicated that Germany has expressed reservations about the sale, but a recent report in German media outlet Handelsblatt said that the German government is preparing to approve the long-delayed sale of Eurofighter Typhoon jets to Türkiye.
The U.K. has been engaging with the German government to resolve these concerns.
Lammy emphasized the strength of the defense relationship between the two countries: "We already have a strong defense industry partnership with Türkiye, and we want to seize more opportunities. For example, the U.K.'s advanced defense industries complement Türkiye's dynamic supply chain by fostering trade, investment, and technology cooperation."
"We are seeking ways to develop our defense industry cooperation through the Türkiye/UK Defense Industry Council, which is a government and industry group that enables us to evaluate all available opportunities for our rising nations in this sector," Lammy said.
"The U.K. and Türkiye are in a very good position to meet the demands of the global defense industry by combining expertise, talent, and innovation," he added.
"The defense sector is the basic strategic pillar of cooperation between the U.K. and Türkiye that drives economic growth and partnership, and of course, as close NATO allies, defense industry cooperation is a very important issue for us," he noted.
Lammy highlighted successful bilateral investment examples in the defense sector: "The strength of the U.K.-Türkiye partnership is very clearly visible. For example, Canik's investment in U.K.-based AEI Systems enabled them to integrate their technologies into globally used platforms."
"TUALCOM's investment in the UK market opened the door to many opportunities, and on the other hand, Rolls-Royce and BAE Systems continue to deepen their long-term presence in Türkiye by discovering new growth opportunities," he added.
The Foreign Secretary described Türkiye as essential for regional and global security amid current international challenges and said, "We are experiencing a period of radical uncertainty. The situation throughout the Middle East is still dangerous, and Putin continues to resist peace efforts by increasing attacks on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure as part of his illegal invasion of Ukraine."
"Türkiye's vital role in regional and global security and its geopolitical situation make the U.K.'s relationship with Türkiye even more important," he added.
"Located at the intersection of the Black Sea, Caucasus, Middle East and Africa, Türkiye is an indispensable country for the security interests of the U.K., Europe and the world and is a key partner for the U.K. in NATO and bilateral relations with strong military integration and defense industry cooperation," Lammy said.
"We are absolute partners working together for a safer and more prosperous future for our peoples," he noted.
Lammy addressed recent Middle East developments, emphasizing the importance of maintaining regional stability, saying, "The cease-fire between Israel and Iran achieved through U.S. mediation must continue. As the U.K., we are making contacts at the international level to support this, and we invite all parties to respect the cease-fire."
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The Foreign Secretary outlined the U.K.'s position on the Gaza conflict, saying, "From the first day of the conflict in Gaza, the U.K. government has been very clear that there must be an immediate cease-fire with the release of hostages cruelly held by Hamas, protection of civilians, ensuring stable access to significantly more aid to Gaza, and setting a path for long-term peace and stability in the region."
"Civilian casualties from Israeli attacks are horrific. All parties must resume negotiations for a permanent end to this crisis," he added.
"In the longer term, it is clear that long-term peace and stability can only be achieved through a political process leading to a two-state solution. Therefore, we continue to work with our partners in the region to reach consensus on a post-conflict framework that will support the conditions necessary for lasting and sustainable peace," Lammy noted.
"The path that will lead us to security in the Middle East is diplomacy, not more bloodshed," he said.
Lammy described the ongoing conflict in Ukraine as a fundamental challenge to global security: "We are currently in a period of radical uncertainty. Technology is transforming the nature of war, and extremist ideologies are rising. Among these global challenges, Russia's aggression continues to pose a generational threat to our common security."
"We see that Putin and his supporters, faced with Ukraine's determined resistance in the illegal war he opened against Ukraine, use a malicious mixture of hybrid tactics while trying to weaken European and global security," he added.
FM Lammy concluded by stating, "Generational threats require generational intervention, and this is why the U.K. and Türkiye must work as closely as possible with our other NATO allies."
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