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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday said London has signed an agreement with Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan to sell Eurofighter jets to Ankara in a 10-year deal worth nearly US$11 billion. “This is a really significant deal, because it’s £8 billion (US$10.7 billion) worth of orders … these are jobs that will last for 10 years, making the [Eurofighter] Typhoons, so really big for our country,” he said in Ankara. Starmer said the deal also represented a boost for Nato security, telling broadcasters in Turkey: “Having that capability locked in with the United Kingdom is really important for Nato.” Britain’s defence ministry said the order would involve 20 Eurofighter jets. In July, Turkey and the UK signed a preliminary deal for the Eurofighters, which are manufactured by a consortium comprising the UK, Germany, Italy and Spain and led by Britain’s BAE Systems. The deal followed Germany’s reported decision to lift its long-standing opposition to the sale of the jets to Turkey. Last week, Erdogan toured three Gulf nations and held talks on the potential acquisition of used Typhoons from Qatar and Oman. Turkey views the acquisition of Eurofighters and other advanced jets as an interim solution until its domestically developed fifth-generation KAAN fighter jet becomes operational. That is expected no earlier than 2028. Turkey, a member of the Nato military alliance, also seeks re-entry into the US-led F-35 fighter jet programme. It was excluded in 2019 due to its purchase of Russian-made S-400 missile defence systems, which was deemed a security risk to the F-35 programme. Erdogan raised the issue of the sale of F-35 fighter jets during a recent meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House. Turkish officials have said Turkey wants to acquire a total of 120 fighter jets: 40 Eurofighters, 40 US-made F-16s and 40 F-35s – as a transitional fleet ahead of the KAAN’s entry into service. Additional reporting by Reuters, Agence France-Presse
