Turkey Purchases 20 'Eurofighter Typhoon' Jets from the UK

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan signed a contract on Monday for the purchase of 20 "Eurofighter Typhoon" fighter jets during his reception of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Ankara.

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Deal Details and Strategic Significance

• Value and Scale: The British Ministry of Defence described the deal as the "largest fighter jet contract" in years, valued by London at eight billion British Pounds (9.2 billion Euros).

• Delivery Schedule: The first deliveries are expected to take place in 2030.

• Strategic Symbol: Erdoğan welcomed the agreement, considering it a "new symbol" of the strategic relations between Ankara and London.

• British Justification: PM Keir Starmer justified the deal by stating that Turkey defends the "southeastern flank of NATO."

• More Than Just a Purchase: British Defence Secretary John Healey, who visited Ankara with the PM to finalize the deal, said the agreement "goes beyond just buying aircraft. It forms the key component of the growing industrial and defense partnership between the two nations."

Deal Background and German Reversal

• Modernization Ambition: The Turkish President seeks to modernize his country's air fleet and wishes to purchase 40 jets of this model, which is manufactured by a consortium of four European nations (UK, Germany, Italy, and Spain).

• Shift from F-35: Ankara shifted its interest to the Eurofighter jets after initially preferring the US "F-35" aircraft. However, it was excluded from the US fighter program due to its purchase of the Russian "S-400" air defense system.

• German Approval: Germany, which had initially opposed the sale of Eurofighters to Turkey due to Ankara's unconditional support for Hamas against Israel, reversed its opposition in July.

• Upcoming Meeting: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is scheduled to meet President Erdoğan in Ankara on Thursday.