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Türkiye is “imperative” to the United Kingdom’s security interests across Europe and NATO’s flanks and remains a key bilateral and alliance partner, according to a British government policy paper published Tuesday.
The National Security Strategy 2025: Security for the British People in a Dangerous World, a comprehensive review of Britain’s defense and foreign policy priorities, highlighted Türkiye's critical role in regional and international security cooperation.
“At the crossroads between the Black Sea, the Caucasus, the Middle East and Africa, Turkey is imperative to UK security interests across Europe and on NATO’s flanks and remains a key NATO and bilateral partner for the UK, with strong military integration and defence industrial collaboration,” the document stated, using an alternate name for Türkiye.
The strategy also warned that the UK must prepare for the potential of a “wartime scenario” on its own soil for the first time in decades.
“We are in an era in which we face confrontation with those who are threatening our security,” the paper said, identifying Russia as “the most obvious and pressing example of this” due to its war in Ukraine.
“For the first time in many years, we have to actively prepare for the possibility of the UK homeland coming under direct threat, potentially in a wartime scenario,” it added.
The policy paper also addressed recent geopolitical flashpoints, including India-Pakistan tensions and the military confrontation between Israel and Iran. It warned that any major escalation in these regions could have a “profoundly negative impact” on Britain’s energy security, cost of living and economic growth.
“As the second largest economy in the world, with strong central government control, the challenge of competition from China ... has potentially huge consequences for the lives of British citizens,” the review said.
Amid what it described as a “period of rapid change and uncertainty,” the paper underscored the necessity of international cooperation: “It will be more important than ever before that the UK has strong alliances.”
“This remains a major source of our competitive strategic advantage,” it added.
The UK remains committed to supporting security and stability in the Middle East through its diplomatic, humanitarian, military and economic presence.
“We are committed to a safe and secure Israel and advancing Palestinian statehood as part of a two-state solution,” the paper stated, adding that both Israelis and Palestinians “deserve to live in peace, prosperity and security.”
The strategy also noted efforts to “contain Iran’s destabilising influence” and prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons.
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Following the publication of the review, Prime Minister Keir Starmer told Sky News that the country is “facing daily challenges on the home front.”
He said the UK is targeted by “very, very frequent and very, very serious” cyberattacks.
Starmer also flagged energy security as a top concern in light of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, and called Iran a “threat.”
“We have to guard properly against those threats, and we will do so,” he said.
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