ALBAWABA- Turkey finalized a landmark €11 billion ($11 billion) agreement with the United Kingdom to purchase 20 new Eurofighter Typhoon jets, marking a major step to modernize its air force following years of stalled negotiations with Washington over the F-35 program.
The agreement was formally signed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, following a closed-door bilateral meeting and subsequent expanded talks attended by senior ministers and officials from both sides.
The deal, signed on Monday during British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to Ankara, includes provisions for pilot training, maintenance, and technology transfer, with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2028, according to Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler.
Ankara is also in advanced talks to buy 12 used Typhoons each from Qatar and Oman, potentially expanding its Eurofighter fleet to 44 aircraft in total.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hailed the agreement as a “strategic pivot” that strengthens NATO interoperability while broadening Turkey’s defense partnerships.
The announcement follows Erdoğan’s Gulf tour to Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman last week, where defense cooperation and joint production featured prominently.
The ceremony marked a milestone in defense cooperation between the two NATO allies, centering on the Eurofighter Typhoon deal and broader strategic collaboration in security and technology.
It also reflects Ankara’s continued frustration with the U.S. F-35 program, from which Turkey was expelled in 2019 after purchasing Russia’s S-400 missile defense system, a decision Washington said compromised NATO security.
Despite having paid $1.4 billion toward 100 F-35s as part of a joint production scheme, Turkey was removed from the program and hit with U.S. sanctions under CAATSA.
