Turkey and the United Kingdom signed a preliminary agreement on Wednesday for the potential sale of Eurofighter Typhoon jets to Turkey—a key development in Ankara’s broader push to upgrade its air force capabilities.
The agreement came during a defense industry exhibition in Istanbul, where Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler and British Defense Secretary John Healey signed a memorandum of understanding. Turkey’s Ministry of National Defense confirmed the signing.
Ankara has expressed longstanding interest in acquiring 40 Eurofighter Typhoon jets, which are manufactured by a consortium involving the UK, Germany, and Italy. While Germany was reportedly hesitant about the deal at first, it has since reversed its stance, clearing the path for negotiations to advance. The UK has taken the lead in facilitating the discussions on behalf of the consortium.
The Turkish defense ministry said the signed memorandum is a step forward toward finalizing a full agreement on the Eurofighter deal. “Both Ministers welcome the signature as a positive step towards bringing Turkey into the Typhoon club and share a mutual ambition to conclude the necessary arrangements as soon as possible,” the ministry said in its statement.
BAE Systems, a British defense company and a member of the Eurofighter consortium, also welcomed the development, stating that it would continue collaborating with both governments to bring the procurement process to completion.
Turkish officials noted that negotiations on pricing and technical details are ongoing. Turkey has received an initial offer and is preparing a counter-proposal in response.
This Eurofighter deal is part of Turkey’s broader strategy to modernize its air force, which also includes efforts to rejoin the U.S.-led F-35 program. Turkey was removed from that program in 2019 after it purchased Russian-made S-400 missile defense systems, which Washington said posed a security threat to the F-35 jets.
In parallel, Turkey is also working on developing its own fifth-generation fighter aircraft, known as KAAN. The domestically produced jet is expected to be operational by 2028.
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