Ankara and London are expected to sign a bilateral defence and security agreement on Wednesday, which, according to multiple sources cited by Middle East Eye, is set to significantly deepen cooperation between the two countries in the defence sector.

According to the same sources, the agreement provides for close cooperation between Turkey and the United Kingdom across the full range of defence-related issues. This includes collaboration between the two countries’ defence industries, counterterrorism efforts, the management of hybrid threats, and cybersecurity.

Officials who spoke to Middle East Eye described the agreement as “comprehensive” but did not provide further details regarding the scope of the commitments to be undertaken by either side.

The agreement is expected to be signed during a meeting on Wednesday between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

A source familiar with the agreement’s contents said it is “in the same spirit” as the bilateral defence agreement signed between Greece and France in 2021. As Middle East Eye notes, the Greek-French agreement includes a mutual defence assistance clause, which means the UK could assist Turkey in a Greek-Turkish conflict. However, the same sources did not clarify whether a similar provision is included in the Turkey-UK agreement.

According to the reports, neither the Turkish government nor Downing Street intends to publish the full text of the agreement, with the decision attributed to the sensitive nature of its provisions.

It is recalled that in April, the two countries signed a Strategic Partnership Framework aimed at “strengthening dialogue and cooperation between the two countries as allies in NATO and strategic partners.”

Relations between Ankara and London have been further strengthened following Turkey’s decision last July to proceed with the purchase of Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets as part of a multi-billion-pound agreement.