Keir Starmer Faces Criticism Over Silence on Turkish Human Rights During Defense Deal Visit

UK and Turkey Ink Major Defense Agreement

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited Ankara, Turkey, on Monday, October 27, 2025, to finalize a significant defense agreement with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The deal involves the sale of 20 Eurofighter Typhoon jets to Turkey, valued at approximately £8 billion (around $11 billion USD). Starmer hailed the agreement as 'a win for British workers, a win for our defence industry and a win for our security,' projecting the creation of 20,000 jobs in the UK, with the first jet delivery anticipated in 2030. He also emphasized the deal's role in bolstering NATO security, given Turkey's position as a key ally.

Widespread Criticism for Silence on Human Rights

Despite the economic and strategic implications of the deal, Starmer faced considerable backlash for his apparent silence on Turkey's deteriorating human rights record and the ongoing crackdown on opposition figures. Critics included journalists, analysts, human rights advocates, and Turkish opposition politicians.

Amnesty International UK's foreign affairs director, Polly Truscott, urged Starmer to 'question the disturbing state of human rights in Turkey and to ensure UK business dealings don't exacerbate or provide diplomatic cover for human rights abuses.' Turkish journalist Barçın Yinanç noted on X that Starmer, a former human rights lawyer, had 'not one single word to say 'on the oppression Turkey's main opposition party, the CHP, Labour's ideological sister, is subjected at the hands of the AKP government.''

Concerns Over Opposition Crackdown and İmamoğlu's Charges

The criticism was amplified by recent events targeting the Turkish opposition. Just prior to or during Starmer's visit, new charges of alleged 'political espionage' and links to British intelligence were filed against Ekrem İmamoğlu, the jailed Mayor of Istanbul and a prominent political rival to President Erdoğan. İmamoğlu had previously been arrested on corruption charges in March.

Other concerns highlighted by rights groups included:

• The arrest of journalist Merdan Yanardağ, editor-in-chief of TELE1 TV, on 'espionage' charges.
• The detention of İmamoğlu's former campaign manager, Necati Özkan.
• The state takeover of the TELE1 TV station.
• The threat of possible legal changes to criminalize same-sex marriage.

The leader of Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), Özgür Özel, had previously expressed bewilderment at Starmer's and the Labour Party's silence regarding the crackdown on the opposition, stating, 'We feel abandoned.'

UK Government's Stance

While Starmer did not publicly address human rights during his visit, his spokesperson, Tom Wells, stated that the UK expects Turkey 'to uphold its international obligations and the rule of law, including the right to a fair trial.' Wells added that London had raised the issue of arrests with the Turkish government 'at a number of levels' and maintained that 'economic partnership can coexist with frank dialogue on areas of disagreement.'