Turkey’s bid to acquire Eurofighter jets appears to be advancing positively. On December 18, two Eurofighter Typhoons from the United Kingdom touched down at Mürted Air Base, approximately 35 kilometers north of Ankara, for inspection by Turkish officials.
This arrival coincides with ongoing discussions regarding Turkey’s potential purchase of Eurofighter aircraft. The jets recently participated in a military exercise in Qatar before arriving in Turkey.
The visit follows an announcement by Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler on December 14, stating that the aircraft would be arriving as part of an opportunity to closely inspect the Eurofighter Typhoons, a key step in Turkey’s consideration of acquiring the fighter jets.
Minister Güler had also revealed that negotiations for the procurement of the Eurofighters were progressing positively.
The Eurofighter Typhoon is a fourth-generation European fighter jet developed by a consortium of four countries: Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Spain. Production was led by Airbus, BAE Systems, and Leonardo.
Birleşik Krallık’a ait iki adet Eurofighter Typhoon uçağının Ankara’daki Mürted Hava Üs Komutanlığımıza gelişinden görüntüler…#MillîSavunmaBakanlığı pic.twitter.com/by8LycJD2k
— T.C. Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) December 18, 2024
The jets were officially welcomed at Mürted Air Base by UK Minister of State for Defence Procurement, Maria Eagle, alongside Turkey’s Air Force Commander General Ziya Cemal Kadıoğlu, Deputy Minister Şuay Alpay, and other military officials, as confirmed by a post on the Turkish National Defense Ministry’s official social media account.
Turkey’s interest in the Eurofighter Typhoons has been well documented, with discussions dating back to last year. After lengthy negotiations, Turkey formally expressed its interest in purchasing 40 combat jets.
The move, however, has faced obstacles due to the consortium’s export approval rules, which require unanimous consent from the partner nations. Germany, which previously vetoed the sale of Typhoons to Saudi Arabia, had been a roadblock in Turkey’s efforts to acquire ‘cutting edge’ jets.
However, in November, reports suggested that Germany was reconsidering its stance on Turkey’s acquisition request, with indications that the restrictions on the sale could soon be lifted.
The timing of the jets’ arrival coincided with a crucial meeting on December 18 between Minister Güler and Maria Eagle, the UK’s Defense Procurement and Industry Minister, who was visiting the Turkish capital.
Turkey’s Interest In Eurofighter Typhoon
Turkey is facing a pressing gap in its fighter jet capabilities as it waits for the induction of its domestically developed fifth-generation KAAN fighter by the 2030s.
While Turkey is a NATO member, its relationships with other member countries are often strained, particularly with Greece. Despite both nations being part of the alliance, their military strategies largely focus on countering each other.
Greece is in the process of acquiring 20 Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II jets, with an option for an additional 20. It has already introduced French Rafale fighters. Meanwhile, Turkey remains blocked from purchasing the F-35 due to its controversial acquisition of the Russian S-400 air defense system.
Recent statements from Turkish officials have suggested that the US may be willing to reconsider this stance and allow Turkey to purchase the F-35, but only if ongoing diplomatic negotiations yield positive results.
The F-35 is widely regarded as one of the most advanced fighter jets in the world, and there is currently no alternative that matches its capabilities.
While aircraft like the Eurofighter Typhoon, Rafale, Saab Gripen E, and F-15EX Strike Eagle II are all powerful and highly capable, they do not possess the same combination of stealth, advanced sensors, and integrated weapons systems that make the F-35 unique.
As Justin Bronks of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) explains, “It’s comparatively easy to produce something that looks like a stealth fighter-ish thing that will fly [e.g., KAAN, KF-21, Su-57]. It is incredibly difficult and unbelievably expensive to sustain the production of a weapons system that works as a low observable fighter… and also all the things you don’t see when you look at a plane. The integration between the weapons and the sensors… [and other integrations].”
Confronted with the F-35 embargo and the pressing need to modernize its fighter fleet, Turkey is exploring a dual approach that involves upgrading its existing F-16 aircraft while acquiring new fighter jets.
In October 2021, Turkey made a formal request to purchase 40 Block 70 F-16s and 79 modernization kits from the United States, valued at approximately US$20 billion. This deal was essential for the Turkish Air Force, which operates one of the world’s largest fleets of F-16s.
However, in a surprising move in November 2024, Turkey withdrew from plans to purchase the 79 upgrade kits for its F-16C/D fighters, citing its growing domestic capabilities to handle these upgrades independently. The acquisition of 40 new Block 70 F-16s remains on track.
Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine, 4++ generation multirole aircraft. It is extremely agile, making it a very powerful dogfighter. The aircraft has reduced radar cross-section, sensor fusion, adduced avionics, and super-cruise capability.
“The Eurofighter Typhoon is the world’s most advanced swing-role combat aircraft,” the Airbus website states. “No other fighter has integrated such a large number of European and US weapons, making it combat-ready for any mission.”
The aircraft is regarded as one of NATO’s best non-stealthy, multirole combat aircraft.
However, acquiring Eurofighter Typhoons might be easier and quicker for Turkey, as the production line in Warton, England, has been largely inactive, with no new Typhoons currently being produced. This could allow for faster delivery of Typhoons to Turkey and provide a more immediate solution to meet its urgent defense needs.
