Efforts in final stage to update Türkiye’s top secret security doc

ANKARA

Turkish authorities have reached the final stages of updating Türkiye’s most classified national security document, commonly referred to as the "red book,” local media reported on Dec. 18.

The National Security Council (MGK) began soliciting opinions from ministries and relevant agencies earlier this year to update the document.

After evaluating the gathered insights, a confidential meeting was held at the beginning of this month to conclude the ongoing work, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

Chaired by Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, the session meticulously reviewed the proposed amendments to the "red book." In this high-security gathering, participants' mobile phones and smartwatches were confiscated, ensuring stringent precautions.

Following this meeting, the update process of the book has reached its final phase, the report said.

The updated document is expected to be presented at the next MGK meeting, which will be chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

This document serves as a comprehensive guideline for strategies to secure national defense and achieve national objectives. It encompasses fundamental principles regarding internal, external and defense strategies, as determined by the MGK.

It is regularly updated in accordance with shifts in the security landscape during periodic meetings, with the last review taking place on Sept. 30, 2019.

The vice president provided further commentary on the matter during his remarks in the parliament as part of the discussions on the 2025 budget, describing the top security document as an exceptionally intricate and high-caliber text.

"With the approval of the National Security Council, we will formalize this document. Most likely, it will be officially adopted at the upcoming MGK meeting and will guide the operations of our institutions. We anticipate the implementation of the new National Security Policy Document in 2025."