Güvenlik

Güvenlik is a Turkish noun meaning security, safety, or protection from harm. It denotes the state or condition of being secure and is used across a range of contexts, from personal safety to national policy. The term derives from güven, meaning trust or confidence, with the suffix -lik forming a noun that expresses a state or quality. Because of this, güvenlik often points to both the absence of danger and the provision of protection.

In everyday language, güvenlik appears in many compound expressions. Examples include güvenlik önlemleri (security or safety measures), kamu güvenliği (public safety), iş güvenliği (occupational safety), bilişim güvenliği (information security), and siber güvenlik (cybersecurity). At the national level, güvenlik is linked to concepts such as ulusal güvenlik (national security) and güvenlik politikaları (security policies). The scope can cover physical protection, data integrity, and risk management, reflecting many disciplines such as law, engineering, information technology, and public administration.

In policy and governance, güvenlik is treated as an objective to protect individuals, organizations, infrastructure, and the state from threats, whether intentional, accidental, or natural. This broad usage makes güvenlik a central term in discussions of crime prevention, border control, disaster preparedness, and cybersecurity. Overall, güvenlik denotes both the state of being secure and the actions taken to achieve and maintain that state, within a Turkish-speaking context.