Turkey and Britain signed a massive defense deal Monday worth around $11 billion for the sale of 20 Eurofighter Typhoon jets during British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's visit to Ankara. The agreement comes as Turkey seeks to modernize its aging air force and bolster its standing within NATO amid regional tensions involving Syria, Gaza, and the war in Ukraine.
The signing ceremony took place at the presidential palace in Ankara, where Starmer was received with a full military honor guard and red carpet. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said after the signing that his government viewed the deal as "a new symbol of the strategic ties between two close allies."
Starmer said Britain would provide Turkey with 20 new Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft, with an option for additional planes in the future. He said the deal would strengthen NATO's security, deepen defense cooperation between the two nations, and "secure around 20,000 British jobs in aircraft manufacturing."
According to a report by Reuters last week, Turkey is also close to finalizing a separate agreement to purchase 12 secondhand Eurofighter jets from Oman and Qatar as an interim solution until the new aircraft from Britain are delivered.
The Eurofighter Typhoon is a 4.5-generation multirole fighter jointly produced by Britain, Germany, Italy, and Spain. Turkey's current air force relies mainly on aging F-16 aircraft, while its domestically developed KAAN fighter jet has not yet entered service.
Reuters also reported that Israeli airstrikes over the past year in Iran, Syria, Lebanon, and Qatar have raised concerns in Ankara, prompting Turkey to accelerate efforts to upgrade its military capabilities.
Turkey, a NATO member since 1952, has been seeking to acquire the Eurofighter since 2023, but talks were stalled by Germany's refusal to grant export licenses due to concerns over Ankara's foreign policy. The French news agency AFP reported that negotiations resumed after Germany lifted its veto in July, partly in recognition of Turkey's position regarding the war in Gaza.
The US removed Turkey from the F-35 fighter jet program in 2019 after Ankara purchased Russian S-400 missile defense systems. In recent months, Washington has been promoting a compromise that could allow Turkey to buy the advanced aircraft that form the backbone of Israel's air force.
Last year, Turkey also advanced discussions to buy 40 F-16 jets from the US, but the delivery has since been delayed.
