Turkish, British defence chiefs discuss Ukraine, bilateral cooperation

Turkish National Defence Minister Hulusi Akar and UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace have discussed the latest developments in Ukraine, as well as regional defence and cooperation in the defence industry.

Wallace, who is visiting Türkiye at the invitation of Akar, was welcomed with a military ceremony at the Turkish National Defence Ministry on Thursday, according to a statement.

The two officials had a meeting that was followed by delegation-level talks.

Akar stressed that relations between Türkiye and the UK continue in every field based on a strategic partnership.

He emphasised the acceleration of cooperation in the defence industry with the lifting of export license restrictions.

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Bilateral cooperation

The importance of cooperation in the fight against terrorism, especially the PKK/YPG, Daesh and the Fetullah Terrorist Organisation (FETO) groups, was also discussed.

Akar underlined that a ceasefire should be declared in Ukraine as soon as possible to reestablish peace and stability in the region, with support given to the independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of the conflict-ridden country.

He noted that efforts to solve the grain problem continue in a coordinated manner.

The statement highlighted that the agreement on the continuation of military training cooperation activities was also discussed.

Earlier, Akar and Wallace met on June 15 in Brussels as part of a NATO defence ministers' meeting and a tripartite meeting held with the participation of Ukraine's Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov.

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