Türkiye and the United Kingdom signed a major defense cooperation agreement for the procurement of 20 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets. The deal was finalized during UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s official visit to Ankara, where he met with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Following the signing ceremony, President Erdoğan highlighted the growing economic and strategic ties between the two NATO allies.
“We are determined to increase our trade volume with the United Kingdom to $30 billion initially and then to $40 billion. We will continue strengthening our economic relations,” Erdoğan said.
He added that the technical arrangements for the Typhoon acquisition had been completed at the delegation level, “This cooperation will pave the way for joint defense industry projects. We consider this agreement a new milestone in our strategic partnership.”
£8 Billion Eurofighter Deal
Prime Minister Starmer announced that the agreement is valued at £8 billion (approx. $10 billion) for the delivery of 20 Typhoons.
“This deal not only supports UK jobs; it deepens our strategic partnership with Türkiye,” Starmer stated. “It’s truly a great day for the United Kingdom.”
As part of the visit, three Royal Air Force Typhoons greeted Starmer at Mürted Air Base, where he inspected the jets with pilots and technical personnel.
Starmer was accompanied by UK Defense Secretary John Healey and UK Air Force Commander General Harv Smyth during the engagements.
KAAN Jet Briefing at TUSAŞ
Starmer also toured TUSAŞ facilities in Kahramankazan and received a briefing on Türkiye’s national fighter jet KAAN.
The Turkish Ministry of National Defense confirmed the visit, noting the participation of:
- Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler
- Turkish Air Force Commander Gen. Ziya Cemal Kadıoğlu
- UK Air Force Commander Gen. Harv Smyth
Türkiye Becomes the 10th Eurofighter Operator
With this acquisition, Türkiye becomes the 10th country to operate the Eurofighter Typhoon after:
UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, Austria, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia
Defense industry sources indicate that BAE Systems will secure approximately £4.6 billion in revenues from the agreement, including its stake in MBDA.
