British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing growing criticism for remaining silent on Turkey’s deteriorating human rights record and on ongoing crackdown on the opposition during his visit to Ankara on Monday, where the United Kingdom and Turkey signed a major defense agreement worth nearly $11 billion.
Starmer, who was welcomed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan with an official ceremony at the presidential complex in Ankara, described the deal for the sale of 20 Eurofighter Typhoon jets as “a win for British workers, a win for our defence industry and a win for our security,” saying that the deal is expected to create 20,000 jobs in the UK.
But his focus on trade and defense cooperation, without any mention of Turkey’s democratic decline or the ongoing crackdown on the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), drew sharp rebukes from journalists, analysts and rights advocates.
Barçın Yinanç, a well-known Turkish journalist, wrote on X that the leader of the Labour Party had not one single word to say “on the oppression Turkey’s main opposition party, the CHP, Labour’s ideological sister, is subjected [to] at the hands of the AKP government.” She said Starmer, once a human rights lawyer, appeared “so happy about the 20,000 jobs created.”
It was Starmer’s first visit to Turkey since becoming prime minister in July 2024. He has led the Labour Party since 2020.
The agreement signed on Monday marked Britain’s biggest fighter-jet deal for almost two decades and Turkey’s first purchase of combat aircraft from a country other than the US. BAE Systems will assemble Turkey’s jets in the UK, with the first delivery expected in 2030.
Our deal with Türkiye is a win for British workers, a win for our defence industry, and a win for our security. pic.twitter.com/7PpdKCEodo
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) October 27, 2025
Journalist Abdülhamit Bilici, the former editor-in-chief of the now-closed Zaman daily, similarly criticized both Starmer and US President Donald Trump, saying they “boast of business deals” while ignoring the Erdoğan government’s jailing of journalists and opposition leaders.
“Turkey is now treated like other Middle Eastern autocracies, where sweet contracts stop any talk about democracy or human rights,” he said.
When Erdoğan was hosted by Trump at the White House last month, his first visit since 2019, the focus of the meeting was again business deals concerning Turkey’s hopes to buy US F-16s and F-35s, Trump made no mention of an ongoing crackdown on the opposition, which has led to the arrest to date of more than 10 CHP mayors, including İstanbul’s popular Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu in addition to the detention or arrest of around 500 people linked to the party.
Journalist Amberin Zaman, chief correspondent for Al-Monitor, wrote, “To hell with human rights,” as she posted a video of Starmer announcing the deal with Turkey, while French-British news anchor Laura Cellier said European leaders once condemned democratic backsliding in Turkey but that “on the day Turkey issues new trumped-up charges against the popular Mayor of Istanbul and Erdogan’s biggest political rival, Keir Starmer slithers over to sell him fighter jets.”
I’m old enough to remember when European leaders would condemn democratic backsliding in Turkey
…..but on the day Turkey issues new trumped up charges against the popular Mayor of Istanbul and Erdogan’s biggest political rival, Keir Starmer slithers over to sell him fighter… pic.twitter.com/fJPsoZWxmM
— Laura Cellier (@laura_i24) October 27, 2025
Starmer’s visit came one day after İmamoğlu appeared in court on Sunday as part of a new investigation into him on charges of political espionage, including alleged links to British intelligence.
The new charges, which are widely seen as politically motivated, come as part of an investigation launched by the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, which also led to the detention of journalist Merdan Yanardağ and İmamoğlu’s former campaign manager Necati Özkan last Friday.
A criminal court in İstanbul issued the arrest order for all three on Sunday, deepening a months-long legal saga that has already kept the prominent opposition figure behind bars since March.
İmamoğlu denied the latest charges, writing on X: “Such slander, lies and conspiracy wouldn’t even cross the devil’s mind. We are facing shameful immorality that can’t be described with words.”
The 54-year-old politician was first arrested in March in a corruption investigation targeting İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality, marking the start of his prolonged imprisonment.
Government critics and opposition figures have condemned the successive charges as attempts to sideline President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s most powerful political rival ahead of the next national vote.
Amnesty International UK also urged the British government to reconsider its priorities in a statement it issued ahead of Starmer’s visit on Monday.
“As the Prime Minister meets with President Erdogan today regarding a fighter jet deal, we implore him to carefully consider the human rights records of countries like Türkiye the UK does business with,” said Polly Truscott, Amnesty’s foreign affairs director. “While negotiations on this multi-billion-pound sale take place, a massive crackdown on human rights is taking place in the country.”
Truscott cited the recent state takeover of the TELE1 TV station, the arrest of its editor-in-chief Yanardağ on “espionage” charges and the new criminal proceedings against İmamoğlu and his campaign director.
She also noted that the rights of LGBTI people and those defending them are “under unprecedented threat” after a leaked draft law suggested criminalizing same-sex identity for the first time in Turkey’s history.
“Amnesty International UK urges Keir Starmer to use this opportunity to question the disturbing state of human rights in Türkiye – and to ensure UK business dealings don’t exacerbate or provide diplomatic cover for human rights abuses,” she said.
Following the talks, President Erdoğan said he was pleased to host “my dear friend, Prime Minister Starmer” and announced new steps to boost the trade volume between the two countries to $40 billion. Erdoğan described the fighter jet agreement as “a new symbol of our strategic partnership.”
Birleşik Krallık Başbakanı, değerli dostum Sayın Starmer’ı ülkemizde ağırlamaktan büyük memnuniyet duydum. 🇹🇷🇬🇧
Bugünkü görüşmelerimizin odağını ticaret ve savunma ilişkilerimiz teşkil etti. Ticaret hacmimizi 30 milyar dolara, ardından 40 milyar dolara çıkarma kararlılığındayız.… pic.twitter.com/XncirH0Hcd
— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) October 27, 2025
Özel’s earlier rebuke
This is not the first time Starmer has faced criticism for his silence on the crackdown on Turkey’s opposition. When İmamoğlu was arrested in March, sparking widespread protests, CHP leader Özgür Özel criticized him during an interview with the BBC.
He said while other European leaders and countries are condemning the arrest of İmamoğlu, the silence of Starmer and his Labour Party is “really hard to understand.”
“We feel abandoned. What kind of friendship is this, what kind of a brother party is this? How can the UK, the cradle of democracy, and our brother party, the Labour Party, remain silent about this? We are truly offended,” Özel said.
Both Labour and the CHP are members of the Party of European Socialists and the Progressive Alliance. Labour has observer status in the London-based Socialist International, while the CHP is a member.