The UK has signed a spare agreement allowing Ankara to operate jets, and Germany has approved 40 delivery to Türkiye. Turkey has relied on both foreign purchases and its own defense industry projects, including domestic jets, to increase its deterrent, Reuters reported.
Beyond the euro expanders, Ankara is in talks with Washington to buy the 40 F-16.
Turkey has been in discussions since 2023 to purchase 40 Eurofighter typhoons built by a consortium of Germany, Britain, Italy and Spain, represented by Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo.
At a signing ceremony with Istanbul’s British Defense Secretary John Healy, Defense Minister Yasar Goller said the deal would bring Turkey “a step closer to a completely comprehensive agreement” on the Jets, adding that it would also strengthen NATO and Turkey’s aviation capabilities.
“We welcome this positive step into the country joining the Eurofighter Typhoon Club and want to repeat our mutual ambitions to complete the necessary arrangements as soon as possible,” he said.
Guler also told reporters that the planned acquisition will be for 40 Jetmen, but a variety of options have been taken into consideration.
Separately, the German government initially opposed the sale – has cleared the road to delivering 40 jets to Turkey following a positive decision by the Federal Security Council, Spiegel News reported on Wednesday.
The German Ministry of Defense declined to comment, and the federal council, which requires approval for arms exports, generally did not comment on the decision.
The agreement comes weeks after a positive statement from Ankara and the Eurofighter Consortium, with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan praising Germany and Britain’s stance on the issue this week.
The UK said negotiations with Türkiye on the ultimate sales will continue over the coming weeks.
The deal is the first export order that the UK has protected for the jet since 2017, giving the final assembly line a new lifespan at Bea’s factory in northern England.
British Prime Minister Kiel Starmer said the multi-billion dollar contract with Turkey would “maintain and protect the 20,000 UK jobs in the future,” but BAE Systems officials said last week that the company is confident it will win new orders from countries including Turkey.
MNA