Turkish Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler announced that Germany has approved the sale of 40 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets to Turkey, lifting a longstanding objection and paving the way for the eventual procurement of the jets.
Güler, speaking on the TV100 television network on Wednesday, said Germany had resisted the sale for a considerable amount of time but finally responded positively, thanks in part to contributions from NATO allies that are part of a consortium producing the jets along with Germany.
“We will buy 40 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets,” Güler said. “Germany has been resisting for a very long time, but finally, with the positive contributions of our NATO friends Italy, the UK and Spain, Germany has responded positively.”
German officials have not made any statement yet confirming the Turkish minister’s claim.
Berlin, which drastically reduced all arms exports to Turkey amid tensions in the relationship caused by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s policies against critics in the country and military operations targeting Kurdish groups in Syria and Iraq, gave a green light to the large-scale export of arms worth several hundred million euros to NATO ally Turkey last month.
Turkey has long been interested in acquiring the Eurofighter Typhoon jets to bolster its air force capabilities. The sale had previously been blocked by Germany’s unilateral embargo, despite approval from other Eurofighter consortium members.
Güler also added that he does not believe the recent government crisis in Germany, which led to the collapse of the German coalition government after Chancellor Olaf Scholz fired the finance minister, will affect the Eurofighter sale.
The Turkish Air Force plans to procure 20 Typhoon aircraft initially, with an option for an additional 20, all in the latest-generation configuration. Thus, it is aimed to add to the Turkish Air Force inventory one squadron of Typhoon aircraft in the first phase and two squadrons in the final stage.
The Eurofighter Typhoon project was launched as a partnership among several European countries to develop a new-generation fighter jet. While France initially participated, it later withdrew to develop its own aircraft, the Rafale. The remaining partners continued the project, manufacturing the EF-2000 Eurofighter Typhoon. Ownership is divided among the UK (33 percent), Germany (33 percent), Italy (21 percent) and Spain (13 percent).
The consortium includes BAE Systems, representing the UK; Airbus Defense & Space, representing Germany and Spain; and Leonardo, representing Italy.
The Typhoon is a multi-role combat aircraft with a delta wing and canard shape, which offers considerable maneuverability and makes it suitable for a variety of air operations. With ongoing improvements keeping it abreast of combat aviation technology, the aircraft is designed to meet both current and future operational requirements. It can reach a maximum speed of Mach 2.0 and a maximum takeoff weight of 23,500 kg.
To date, more than 550 Eurofighter Typhoon jets have been delivered to seven countries: Germany, the UK, Italy, Spain, Austria, Oman and Saudi Arabia.
NATO member Turkey earlier this year secured a deal to procure 40 F-16 fighter jets and 79 modernization kits for its existing F-16s from the United States, after a long-delayed process.
Ankara is also developing its own national combat aircraft, the KAAN.
The acquisition of Eurofighter Typhoons is expected to significantly upgrade the Turkish Air Force, introducing Active Electronically Scanned Array radar technology to its inventory for the first time.
According to defense expert Fatih Yurtsever, the purchase of Eurofighter jets is as an optimal interim solution until Turkey’s domestically produced KAAN fighter jet and the United States’ F-16 Block 70s are inducted into the fleet.