For centuries, Britons have remained loyal to Queen Elizabeth I’s “observe and remain silent” tactic in diplomacy, with the U.K. generally waiting for its counterparts to take the first step in relations-building. Turks similarly adopt a cool approach and are sometimes noted as arrogant in this regard. Considering their Ottoman ancestors dominated world politics for centuries, the habit is understandable to some extent.
International relations experts often examine a country's history, just as psychologists may explore their clients' childhoods. For instance, in the initial course, students of international relations in Türkiye learn about the well-known story of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. Once, in response to a request for help from the mother of King Francis I of France, who had been defeated by the Habsburg Empire of Charles V and was captured at the Battle of Pavia in February 1525, Suleiman I wrote a letter. The letter, now housed in the national library of France, begins with the words, “I am the sultan of sultans, the sultan of kings, the shadow of God on Earth who gives crowns to rulers,” and continues, “You are Francis, the king of the province of France” – note the “a king of a province” quip. With such a legacy, it's no surprise elitism still haunts Turkish diplomats.
Today, both Turks and the British practice diplomacy as an art form. Their approach to contemporary relations, in particular, is even more elegant, with four major areas shaping the diplomatic path: namely, economy, security, defense and energy. Experts believe if both sides strengthen their ties in these fields, they “can even illuminate a brighter side” in their partnership in the “dark times of the world.”
Burak Küntay, a professor at a private university in Istanbul, is one of those optimistic experts. “In processes outside of the European Union, Türkiye-U.K. relations will reach an unprecedented level of economic cooperation,” the academic, who is also a vice rector at Beykoz University, said in an exclusive response to Daily Sabah’s questions.
The political science and international relations expert also pointed to the U.K.'s situation post-Brexit.
“After Brexit, the U.K. became more advantageous for Türkiye and vice-versa,” he said, adding, “Defense, in particular, should top their cooperation so that they can achieve goals in the future.”
In modern world politics, defense has emerged as a dominant factor in every sphere of a state strategy. Countries have gradually increased their defense budget and their investments in the industry. According to pundits, defense, in today’s world, helps states stabilize economies while lending confidence to security-oriented maneuvers.
Küntay defends this argument and stresses that defense power also improves countries’ influence in diplomacy. “This is why Türkiye and the U.K. should accordingly take steps,” he stated.
In recent years, Türkiye, as a middle power seeking to balance its economy while countering security threats it faces, has taken strategic steps in defense and achieved robust momentum in the related industry and sectors. Just in the last year, numerous big projects were implemented. The manufacturing of KAAN, a fifth-generation fighter jet, is just one of them.
According to Küntay, the KAAN production is a tangible example of how Turkish policymakers’ minds work. “Türkiye is at a great level in the KAAN project, with the obvious fact that there is still much to do,” he said.
On many occasions, Turkish defense authorities have highlighted that the KAAN project is linked to Ankara’s will to ensure its independence in defense, protect national security and sovereignty, and provide alternatives in defense cooperation with partners.
Küntay sees this very Turkish point of view as significant, particularly pointing to the security problems the country has faced.
Türkiye is located in a geography where countless security-based risks are present or have the potential to erupt at any time. The Syrian civil war, the divided structure of Iraq, the threat to the border integrity posed by the PKK terrorist group and its Syrian affiliates, the Russia-Ukraine war, the continental shelf dispute with Greece and the struggle for natural resource sharing in the Eastern Mediterranean are just examples.
Türkiye’s homegrown jet KAAN, which was publicly unveiled last year, completed its first flight in February. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan described the development as a “critical threshold for the country.”
KAAN will be capable of engaging in air-to-air combat using new-generation weapons and executing precision strikes from internal weapon mounts at supersonic speeds. It is expected to provide increased combat power with the support of artificial intelligence (AI) and neural networks.
Likewise, to further strengthen its air force in the meantime, the Air Forces Command is considering options to update its current fleet of F-16s, which are expected to be retired in the 2030s.
To boost future projects, Küntay said that British engine maker Rolls-Royce and Turkish companies, who have already engaged in negotiations via open communication channels, have already discussed the possibility of working together on more giant projects.
Alongside defense, energy has also become an important topic in international relations. With a global energy crisis looming, nations have prioritized energy supply, security and diplomacy. Europe's reliance on Russian natural gas is well-known, and any disruption could have far-reaching consequences.
Moreover, the transition to renewable energy adds complexity, requiring infrastructure development and international cooperation. Energy diplomacy is important for countries to negotiate agreements, build partnerships and manage conflicts to ensure access to resources and safeguard national interests.
Examples include China's Belt and Road Initiative and the U.S.' use of energy resources to strengthen alliances. Pundits warn that effective energy diplomacy is necessary for addressing the challenges of energy security and climate change in the 21st century.
With these in mind, according to Elif Selin Çalık, an Oxford graduate and energy scientist based in the U.K., Türkiye and the U.K. need to prioritize their energy relations.
Çalık suggests that British suppliers may have valuable expertise and could potentially form partnerships in the field of renewable energy, particularly in offshore and onshore wind energy production, as well as battery technology. This could be a mutually beneficial opportunity for both parties.
When assessing the potential for energy cooperation, Çalık noted: “Türkiye, with its youthful and populous society, has long been regarded as an attractive investment destination for British investors. Consequently, the total value of U.K. exports to the country in the four quarters leading up to the end of Q3 2023 reached 10 billion pounds ($12.64 billion).”
“With the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022, access to energy resources in the world has become difficult. In this process, countries turned to their own domestic and national resources. Global cooperation with renewable resources is of great importance for energy-rich countries like Türkiye,” she added.
Çalık confidently emphasized that Ankara's National Energy Plan aims to diplomatically diversify and modernize the country's energy sector by 2035, highlighting the importance of offshore wind power generation in achieving these goals.
On March 14, it was announced that Türkiye and the U.K. kicked off negotiations to update the free trade agreement (FTA), which has been in force since 2021 and rolled over when Britain left the European Union.
The existing FTA is based on the customs union established approximately 30 years ago, whose scope, according to Trade Minister Ömer Bolat, is therefore “limited” and covers mainly industrial goods.
According to Küntay, both sides declaring mutual willingness to update the FTA is a “great development.”
“The FTA update is very essential to create a segment in Türkiye’s trade ties with the U.K. outside the EU,” he said.
“Some issues, such as the inclusion of products originating in both countries in direct free trade, are very technical issues, but they are issues that will adjust the pros and cons of the whole business.”
The U.K. is a trading partner for Türkiye, with a trade volume reaching $19 billion (TL 610 billion). Additionally, it is the country’s fourth most important export partner and the fifth-largest investor with $8.3 billion in direct investments.
“The first aim may be to ensure the better continuation of trade, but then it will come to a different dimension later,” Küntay said, pointing to the positive potential side effects of an updated FTA.
