Turkey and UK seal €9 billion Eurofighter jet deal

Turkey and the U.K. have agreed to a €9 billion deal for 20 Eurofighter Typhoon jets, marking the UK’s first new order of the aircraft since 2017, according to Euronews.

The deal was signed in Ankara during British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s first visit, aiming to boost defense and economic ties.

«Our countries may be at opposite ends of Europe, but we’re strong partners,» Starmer said at the signing ceremony alongside President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. He added that the agreement will enhance NATO’s security, deepen defense cooperation and support 20,000 British jobs.

Erdoğan described the deal as a «new symbol of the strategic relationship» between the two allies.

The Eurofighter Typhoon, produced by a European group led by Britain’s BAE Systems, will bolster Turkey’s air force as it awaits its own KAAN jet, expected by 2028.

Ankara also plans to buy 24 used Typhoons — 12 each from Qatar and Oman — to modernize its air force. Moreover, Turkey continues to seek re-entry into the U.S. F-35 program, from which it was excluded in 2019 after purchasing Russian-made S-400 defense systems.