Who is Wes Streeting? Career of the UK Defence Secretary and his ties with Türkiye
The United Kingdom’s new Defence Secretary Wes Streeting, in office since 20 July 2026, held a phone conversation with Turkish National Defence Minister Yaşar Güler on 2 September 2026. According to the Turkish Ministry of National Defence, the two ministers exchanged views on bilateral and regional defence and security matters. The call marks the first minister-level contact between Andy Burnham’s newly assembled Labour defence cabinet and Ankara.
- Current post: UK Secretary of State for Defence (since 20 July 2026).
- Born: 21 January 1983 in Stepney, London.
- Education: BA in History, Selwyn College, University of Cambridge (2004).
- Parliament: MP for Ilford North (Labour) since 2015.
- Previous major post: Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (5 July 2024 – 14 May 2026).
- No military or prior defence-portfolio background; took the brief as Burnham reshuffled the cabinet.
- Priorities: delivery of the Defence Investment Plan and speeding up procurement.
- Spending track: 2.5% of GDP on defence from April 2027, 3% in the next Parliament, 3.5% on core defence by 2035.
- £3 billion annual UK military support to Ukraine continues under Streeting.
- First direct contact with Türkiye: the phone call with Minister Güler on 2 September 2026.
Identity card
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Wesley Paul William “Wes” Streeting |
| Current post | Secretary of State for Defence, United Kingdom |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| In office since | 20 July 2026 |
| Date of birth | 21 January 1983 |
| Place of birth | Stepney, London |
| Education | Westminster City School; BA History, Selwyn College, University of Cambridge (2004) |
| Previous post | Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (2024–2026); Shadow Health Secretary (2021–2024) |
| Institution | Ministry of Defence |
| Party | Labour Party; positioned on the party’s centre-right |
| Constituency | Ilford North (since 2015) |
| Official biography | gov.uk/secretary-of-state-for-defence |
Career
Streeting comes from a working-class London background and moved from a state school in central London to read History at the University of Cambridge. He served as President of the UK National Union of Students between 2008 and 2010, then worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers as a public-sector consultant, ran the Helena Kennedy Foundation, and led education work at Stonewall. He sat on Redbridge London Borough Council from 2010 to 2018, becoming its deputy leader in 2014.
Elected MP for Ilford North in May 2015, he held the seat through every subsequent election. In the shadow cabinet he was Shadow Exchequer Secretary (2020), Shadow Minister for Schools (2020–2021), Shadow Secretary of State for Child Poverty (2021) and, from November 2021, Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. When Labour won government he became Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on 5 July 2024. He resigned on 14 May 2026, publicly citing loss of confidence in then-Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Andy Burnham brought him back to cabinet on 20 July 2026 as Defence Secretary.
Career timeline
| Year | Post / development |
|---|---|
| 2004 | Graduated in History, Selwyn College, Cambridge |
| 2004–2005 | President, Cambridge University Students’ Union |
| 2008–2010 | President, UK National Union of Students (NUS) |
| 2010–2018 | Councillor, Redbridge (deputy leader from 2014) |
| May 2015 | Elected MP for Ilford North |
| November 2021 | Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care |
| 5 July 2024 | Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Starmer cabinet) |
| 14 May 2026 | Resigned from Health |
| 20 July 2026 | Secretary of State for Defence (Burnham cabinet) |
Institutional and political context
Streeting is classed on Labour’s centre-right. He was publicly critical of the party under Jeremy Corbyn and is broadly associated with the Blair-Brown reformist tradition. As Health Secretary he emphasised drawing on private-sector capacity for NHS delivery. In defence he inherits the brief without a military or industrial background; he is expected to lean on his reputation as one of Labour’s most effective communicators to push through delivery and procurement.
Burnham’s headline defence commitments now sit on Streeting’s desk: 2.5% of GDP on defence from April 2027, 3% in the next Parliament, and 3.5% on core defence by 2035 — among the heaviest post-Cold-War spending trajectories in UK politics. The £3 billion annual military support to Ukraine continues, as does the UK’s co-leadership of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group.
Predecessors: John Healey (July 2024 – June 2026, resigned over defence-budget disputes and is now Chancellor of the Exchequer), followed briefly by Dan Jarvis (June – July 2026). Streeting is Burnham’s third Defence Secretary in as many months.
Chronology of contacts with Türkiye
| Date | Turkish counterpart | Setting | Stated topic |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 September 2026 | Defence Minister Yaşar Güler | Phone | Bilateral and regional defence-security issues; first minister-level contact (source: MoND Türkiye) |
Within the six weeks since Streeting took the brief, this is the first minister-level exchange with Ankara. Under his predecessor John Healey the record included a phone call with Güler on 3 March 2026 and, most consequentially, the signing of the Eurofighter Typhoon support and logistics package in London on 25 March 2026. Streeting starts from that inheritance.
UK–Türkiye defence picture
The backbone of the current relationship is Türkiye’s entry into the Eurofighter Typhoon programme. The headline 20-aircraft £8 billion contract was signed in July 2025; the technical and logistics support agreement was closed by Güler and Healey in London on 25 March 2026. That deal, delivered through BAE Systems, covers spares, ground support equipment, high-fidelity training simulators and electronic-warfare capability. First deliveries are planned for 2030. As of August 2026 ten Turkish pilots and roughly one hundred technical personnel have started training in the UK.
On the KAAN indigenous fighter engine, Rolls-Royce has for years been a repeatedly named potential partner, with EJ200-derived technology-transfer options examined. Türkiye is meanwhile pursuing the indigenous TF35000 through TEI and its partners, with integration onto KAAN targeted for around 2032. How the two tracks interact under Streeting is one of the key files to watch.
Türkiye’s main UK-sourced defence programmes (public record)
| Item | Producer | Contract year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eurofighter Typhoon (20 aircraft) | BAE Systems / Eurofighter consortium | 2025 | First delivery planned for 2030; personnel training underway |
| Typhoon support, logistics and simulator package | BAE Systems | 2026 (March) | Under execution; spares, EW, simulators |
| TF-X/KAAN engine technology-transfer talks | Rolls-Royce | Since 2015 | Not concluded; Türkiye continues the indigenous TF35000 track |
- KAAN engine: Should the Rolls-Royce EJ200 co-development option resurface, Streeting’s tenure could see the file reopened; Türkiye’s stated preference remains the indigenous TF35000.
- Typhoon package expansion: Weapon-integration discussions around Meteor BVR, Brimstone and Storm Shadow may appear in follow-on packages.
- Naval platforms: With Turkey’s MILGEM design line and BAE Systems–Babcock’s T31 frigate exports (Indonesia, Poland) both maturing, sub-system cross-sourcing may become a live topic.
- Unmanned systems: The expanding European footprint of Baykar’s TB2/AKINCI and the UK’s own UAS acquisitions will intersect and should be watched.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Wes Streeting?
Wes Streeting is a Labour politician who has served as the United Kingdom’s Secretary of State for Defence since 20 July 2026. MP for Ilford North since 2015, he previously served as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.
When did Streeting become Defence Secretary?
On 20 July 2026, in the first cabinet formed by Prime Minister Andy Burnham. He succeeded John Healey (who moved to the Treasury) and Dan Jarvis, who briefly held the post.
Has Streeting visited Türkiye?
On the public record, he has not visited Türkiye as Defence Secretary. His first contact with Ankara was the phone call with Defence Minister Yaşar Güler on 2 September 2026.
Did Streeting speak to Yaşar Güler?
Yes. They spoke by phone on 2 September 2026. According to the Turkish Ministry of National Defence, the call covered bilateral and regional defence and security issues.
What are the UK’s defence-spending targets?
The commitments Streeting inherits are 2.5% of GDP on defence from April 2027, 3% in the next Parliament and 3.5% on core defence by 2035. The UK also continues £3 billion in annual military aid to Ukraine.
What UK defence systems is Türkiye acquiring?
The centrepiece is the 20-aircraft Eurofighter Typhoon package. First deliveries are planned for 2030, with Turkish pilot and technician training in the UK ongoing since August 2026. Rolls-Royce KAAN-engine cooperation has been discussed since 2015 but has not been concluded.
Sources and verification note
- Turkish Ministry of National Defence (MSB) — official statement on the 2 September 2026 phone call
- UK Government / gov.uk — Defence Secretary page and appointment date
- UK Defence Journal — 20 July 2026 appointment coverage and spending commitments
- Resilience Media — Burnham cabinet defence-treasury reshuffle background
- Wikipedia — biographical timeline
- C4Defence, Defence Security Asia, SavunmaSanayiST — 20-aircraft Typhoon deal and 25 March 2026 London signing coverage
- Shephard Media — Rolls-Royce KAAN engine cooperation history
- TRT Haber — 3 March 2026 Güler–Healey phone call
This file is based on publicly available sources. Private-life information is intentionally excluded. The page will be updated as new contacts and developments occur.
Last updated: 3 September 2026.
