Turkey and the United Kingdom on Monday finalised a landmark agreement worth £8 billion ($10.7 billion) for the sale of 20 Eurofighter Typhoon jets, marking the first new order for the British-made fighter aircraft since 2017. The deal was signed in Ankara during UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s first official visit to Turkey, in the presence of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.“Our countries may sit at either end of Europe, but we’re strong partners, working more closely together now than ever before,” Starmer said at the signing ceremony. He added that the deal would “bolster security across Nato, deepen our bilateral defence cooperation, and boost economic growth here and in the United Kingdom, securing 20,000 British jobs.”Britain’s defence ministry described the order as the “biggest fighter jet deal in a generation,” noting that it would strengthen Turkey’s combat capabilities and reinforce Nato’s presence in a key region. Starmer said the agreement also provides an option for future sales of additional jets.Erdogan hailed the deal as “a new symbol of the strategic relationship between us as two close allies,” thanking the other members of the Eurofighter consortium — Germany, Italy, and Spain — for their “constructive approach.” As per news agency AFP, negotiations gained pace after Germany lifted its veto on the sale in July, following tensions over Ankara’s stance on the Gaza war.Turkey is also negotiating to acquire 12 second-hand Typhoons from Qatar and 12 from Oman, in addition to the 20 new aircraft, according to news agency AP.The purchase is seen as part of Ankara’s effort to modernise its air force while awaiting the deployment of its indigenously developed KAAN fifth-generation fighter jet, expected to be operational no earlier than 2028.Starmer, accompanied by defence minister John Healey and air chief marshal Harv Smyth, visited the Turkish Aerospace Industries facility in Ankara, where he received a briefing on the KAAN project.The visit, however, came amid controversy as Turkish prosecutors filed new espionage charges against Istanbul’s jailed opposition mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a key political rival of Erdogan. Starmer’s spokesperson Tom Wells said the UK had raised human rights issues “at a number of levels,” adding that London expects Turkey “to uphold its international obligations and the rule of law, including the right to a fair trial.”Turkey, a Nato member, is also seeking re-entry into the US-led F-35 fighter jet programme, from which it was excluded in 2019 following its purchase of Russian-made S-400 missile systems, deemed a security risk by Washington.Erdogan said the Eurofighter deal represents an important step in strengthening defence ties with Britain, as Turkey aims to build a balanced fleet of Eurofighters, F-16s, and F-35s ahead of the KAAN jet’s entry into service.
