Major Deal Between Ankara and London to Strengthen Military Partnership

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The spokesperson for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced today, Monday, an agreement between Britain and Turkey worth 8 billion pounds sterling (approximately 10.7 billion US dollars).

The agreement aims to sell 20 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets to Turkey.

The agreement was signed during a meeting between Starmer and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara. It follows a preliminary agreement reached last July, which stipulates the purchase of 40 aircraft, with the approval of the European consortium countries (Germany, Italy, and Spain) through the companies “Airbus,” “BAE Systems,” and “Leonardo.”

This deal falls within the framework of Turkey’s efforts to modernize its air fleet, which relies primarily on “F-16” aircraft, and to enhance its defense capabilities by acquiring “Eurofighter” aircraft and American “F-35” aircraft. This deal also reflects the growing military cooperation between Ankara and London, as Europe seeks to strengthen its eastern flank and support efforts to achieve stability in Ukraine.

According to Reuters, Turkey is expected to receive 12 used “Typhoon” aircraft soon from countries such as Qatar and Oman, before receiving new batches from Britain at a later time.

The British defense group “BAE Systems” has announced that it will earn approximately 4.6 billion pounds sterling from this deal, as it will manufacture and assemble the aircraft in the British county of Lancashire. While the European company “MBDA,” in which “BAE” owns a 37.5% stake, will be responsible for supplying the aircraft with the weapons and missile package.