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Former U.K. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace called for greater strategic cooperation between Türkiye and the United Kingdom, citing the two countries' shared non-EU status as a unique opportunity for faster decision-making in global affairs.
"Türkiye and the U.K. are not in the EU, but we are in the security apparatus of Europe," Wallace said during a speech at Bogazici University in Istanbul.
The event, titled "Bogazici Lectures: The Future of Regional and Global Security: Opportunities and Challenges," was moderated by Turkish National Defense Committee Chairman and Kayseri MP Hulusi Akar.
"That means we are important to our European friends and allies, but it also means that we have an interest in the security of Europe," he added.
Wallace emphasized the ability of both nations to independently forge stronger trade and foreign policy arrangements, stating, "We can act together and faster."
Wallace emphasized that not being part of the EU gives both countries the freedom to "forge our own stronger trade arrangements" and act together on foreign policy objectives.
Commenting on Türkiye's technical capacity, Wallace praised its "well-educated workforce" and its base of physicists, aeronautical engineers, and systems engineers. He said this talent pool is crucial not just for defense manufacturing but also for academic and scientific collaboration between the two nations.
"The U.K. and Türkiye should enhance cooperation beyond government levels," he added.
Wallace pointed to rising global instability, saying, "The world is anxious. It's more anxious than ever... We are now post-globalization. In other words, we are completely interconnected."
He noted that the war in Ukraine and the situation in Gaza are now visible and felt globally, even in distant communities, partly due to social media connectivity.
"People are longing for stability, and I'm afraid, in this world, I don't see anything other than increasing instability with increasing anxiety that will drive people to more stable countries for the next 10 years," Wallace said.
Wallace warned that the worst-case scenario is that "the nation-state loses control of its own society," stressing the growing power of technology and its potential misuse by terrorists.
"My biggest fear is that we start to lose control of the things that should be under state control," he stated.
He identified brain drain as one of the biggest future challenges, noting that while US President Donald Trump wants skilled workers in America, "he doesn't seem very willing to educate his own people to be talented and successful."
Wallace underlined that the war in Ukraine is the most pressing issue for the U.K. "From Britain’s perspective, the most urgent issue is the conflict between Ukraine and Russia," he said. "Putin must not be allowed to go home and think he’s won."
He emphasized international unity to prevent adversaries from gaining ground, cautioning that wavering support would make the world "more dangerous."
Wallace noted that Britain's second key interest is achieving peace in the Middle East, acknowledging the challenges involved in resolving long-standing conflicts in the region.
"Britain has not supported what has been happening in Gaza for a long time," Wallace said, adding that they have always believed a two-state solution is absolutely the right solution.
He stressed that while tensions exist in the Eastern Mediterranean, cooperation on energy extraction is essential, as joint collaboration can drive economic growth and reduce conflict in the region.
Wallace called on governments to prioritize increased investment in defense resilience, even if it means cutting spending elsewhere, to protect against evolving threats.
"I think we have been in a conflict war below the threshold of military war with our adversaries for many years," Wallace said, adding that the British government will need to "sacrifice and give up something else" to allocate more budget to defense in the future.
He emphasized that today's conflicts extend beyond traditional warfare, with cyberattacks and hybrid threats posing significant risks to national security.
Wallace stressed that adversaries include not only hostile states but also extremist and anarchist groups, making resilience across all sectors crucial.
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