Defence Secretary meets Turkish counterpart at SAHA Expo in Istanbul

• Defence Secretary Ben Wallace met his Turkish counterpart Minister Akar in Istanbul.
• Ministers talked about opportunities for greater cooperation.
• The meeting took place at SAHA Expo – the Turkish international defence show.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace met with his Turkish counterpart Defence Minister Hulusi Akar in Istanbul. The meeting covered a range of topics, including training, equipment, capabilities and further opportunities for cooperation across the domains.

The Ministers discussed how the UK and Türkiye will continue to work together, and with international partners, on shared challenges and issues – including Russia’s abhorrent war in Ukraine and Türkiye’s crucial role in ensuring grain exports are able to leave the region.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

It has been a great pleasure to meet again with my defence counterpart, Minister Akar. The UK and Türkiye share a long-standing defence partnership and commitment to shared security challenges, including Russia’s war with Ukraine.

The meeting builds on several years of increased cooperation between the UK and Türkiye on defence matters.

The Defence Secretary attended the SAHA Expo – the Turkish Defence exhibition – where he met with senior Turkish figures from across defence and aerospace sectors. The Defence Secretary also held meetings with the newly appointed Slovenian Defence Minister Marjan Šarec and Ukrainian Minister for Strategic Industries, Pavlo Riabikin.

British industry was on display during the event, which was attended by BAE Systems, Leonardo and Rolls Royce.

The Defence Secretary’s visit to Türkiye comes just weeks after Minister Akar visited the UK for discussions on defence cooperation and their commitment to security as NATO allies.