The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, signed an agreement on Monday under which Turkey will purchase 20 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets for £8 billion, according to his office.
In July, Turkey and the UK had signed a preliminary agreement to buy 40 Typhoon jets, approved by members of the Eurofighter consortium, including Germany, Italy, and Spain, and represented by Airbus, BAE Systems, and Leonardo.
Starmer met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Monday to finalize the deal.
Turkey intends to use these advanced fighter jets to maintain regional military parity with rivals such as Israel, which has conducted airstrikes across the Middle East this year.
Currently, Turkey’s air force relies mainly on F-16 jets, but the country aims to modernize its fleet with Eurofighter Typhoons and potentially U.S. F-35 aircraft in the future.
Turkey’s Strategic Role in NATO
Turkey, which has the second-largest military in NATO and is a major exporter of combat drones, is increasingly seen as a key player in reinforcing the alliance’s eastern flank and supporting any future stabilization operations after the war in Ukraine.
Last week, Reuters reported that Turkey was close to acquiring 12 previously used Typhoon jets from Qatar and Oman to meet urgent operational needs. The newly purchased aircraft from Britain are expected to arrive in the coming years.
Erdogan visited Qatar and Oman last week partly to discuss these deals. Turkey began negotiations for the Eurofighter jets in 2023 to address the gap before its domestically produced KAAN jets are ready in the coming years.
Last year, Ankara also secured a $7 billion deal with Washington for 40 F-16 jets, which are currently facing delays.
Regional security concerns have accelerated Turkey’s military acquisitions. Israeli airstrikes against Iran, Syria, Lebanon, and Qatar – combined with Israel’s advanced fleet of F-15, F-16, and F-35 aircraft supplied by the U.S. – have prompted Ankara to strengthen its defenses, according to officials.
