On Monday, 27 October 2025, during the visit of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to Ankara, where he met with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, an executive agreement worth approximately 5.4 billion GBP was signed for the delivery of 20 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole aircraft to Turkey, with BAE Systems as the contractor, making Turkey the 10th operator of the type.
Photo: Recep Tayyip Erdoğan via X
Deliveries of the aircraft to Turkey are scheduled to begin in 2030. The package includes not only the aircraft themselves, but also armaments (primarily from the European consortium MBDA) as well as logistics and training support.
This is the first Eurofighter programme contract for the United Kingdom since 2017. Under the Eurofighter workshare agreement, more than one-third (37%) of each aircraft will be manufactured in the UK; the remainder will be produced by the partner nations (Germany, Spain, and the UK). Final assembly at BAE Systems’ Warton facility will include radars from Edinburgh and engines from Bristol, helping sustain more than 20,000 jobs in the UK.
It is worth recalling that a principle agreement in the form of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was reached on this matter by the UK and Turkish defence ministers, John Healey and Yaşar Güler, on 23 July this year, during the second day of the 17th International Defence Industry Fair IDEF 2025 in Istanbul.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:
“This landmark agreement with Türkiye is a win for British workers, a win for our defence industry, and a win for NATO security. At either ends of Europe, the UK and Türkiye are vital to tackling the challenges of our time and this will allow our Armed Forces to work even closer together as we deter threats and protect our national interests. Delivering highly skilled, well-paid jobs, including in Warton, Edinburgh and Bristol for years to come, this is yet another example of our Plan for Change in action, driving renewal and opportunity up and down the country.”
UK Defence Secretary John Healey:
“This is another major export deal for the UK and is the biggest jet exports deal in a generation. It will pump billions of pounds into our economy and keep British Typhoon production lines turning long into the future. This deal goes far beyond the procurement of aircraft. It is the leading edge of the growing defence and industrial partnership between our two nations. Türkiye is an important NATO ally and the gatekeeper to the Black Sea. By equipping them with top-of-the-range Typhoon fighter jets, this deal will strengthen NATO deterrence and help make us all safer. I’m determined this government will make defence an engine for growth across the UK.”
Charles Woodburn, Chief Executive, BAE Systems said:
“Türkiye’s procurement of Typhoon marks the start of a new chapter in our longstanding relationship with this important NATO ally and reinforces the outstanding operational support the aircraft delivers across Europe and the Middle East as a fundamental pillar of defence and security. Typhoon is an export success story and demonstrates how investment in defence can fuel significant economic growth and returns across the UK. Today’s announcement extends Typhoon production and preserves crucial sovereign skills which underpin the UK’s defence and security.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan commented on the visit of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on social media:
“I was very pleased to host the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, my esteemed friend Mr. Starmer, in our country. Trade and defence relations were at the centre of our discussions today. We are determined to increase our trade volume to 30 billion dollars, and subsequently to 40 billion dollars. We are committed to further strengthening our economic relations. Our relevant institutions and organizations are taking many steps, including the updating of our Free Trade Agreement. We are also considering opportunities for joint investments in third countries. We aim to establish new partnerships in the fields of energy and defense industry. We are also very pleased that many UK citizens see Türkiye as their second home. To make the best use of this potential, we have begun negotiations on the signing of a Bilateral Cooperation Framework Document between our countries. The implementation arrangements for the procurement of Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets were signed during the interdelegation meetings. Mr. Starmer and I have also signed the cooperation declaration regarding this issue. I consider this agreement as a new symbol of the strategic relations between our two close allies. Today, I also had the opportunity to once again assess the developments in Gaza together with my esteemed friend. We view the United Kingdom’s decision to recognize the State of Palestine as a courageous step towards a two-state solution. Given the approaching winter conditions, delivering the humanitarian aid needed by the people of Gaza is of great importance. We all bear responsibility for preserving the ceasefire in Gaza and preventing violations. I believe that we will take steps together with the United Kingdom in this regard.”
Grafika: BAE Systems
Eurofighter Typhoon
Interestingly, Turkey had originally been interested in purchasing around 40 Typhoons, which led to media reports that Ankara was negotiating the acquisition of 24 aircraft from Oman and Qatar (12 from each). In Oman’s case, this would have meant a complete withdrawal of its Typhoons, while Qatar would have reduced its fleet to 24 aircraft (in practice maintaining the original number, since on 4 December 2024 it announced an order for 12 additional aircraft from the UK).
It is also notable that as recently as 17 April this year, the German daily Handelsblatt, citing sources familiar with the matter, reported that Germany’s new Chancellor Friedrich Merz supported reversing his predecessor Olaf Scholz’s November 2024 approval for the sale. However, signs of a policy shift emerged in early July, and on 17 July, during a press conference in London, the Chancellor publicly confirmed that the sale would be unblocked.
Ankara had expressed interest in European fighter jets since 2023 but submitted a formal request in January 2025. In March, the UK, represented by BAE Systems, presented an official offer. The proposal reportedly included the sale of 20 used Tranche 1 Typhoons from the UK, followed by 20 new Tranche 4 jets, with deliveries starting as early as 2026 for the used aircraft and full operational capability by 2030 (as we can see, the final terms later changed). Greece, locked in long-standing tensions with Turkey, was also reportedly opposed to the sale (Germany had requested written assurances that Typhoons would not be used to violate Greek airspace, which Ankara rejected as unacceptable).
Turkey is also said to have received an offer from U.S. President Donald Trump to rejoin the F-35 Lightning II program. Earlier, according to Turkish Defence Minister Yaşar Güler, an agreement had been concluded for the purchase of 40 brand-new F-16C/D Block 70 jets (from the 26 January 2024 package). In addition, Turkey is upgrading up to 150 F-16C/D Block 30/40 aircraft under the ÖZGÜR program and plans to introduce the next-generation TF Kaan in the future. The Typhoons will therefore serve as a bridging capability.
With this new contract, ten countries have now ordered more than 760 Eurofighter aircraft. In recent years, additional Typhoons have been ordered by Italy (+24), Spain (+20 + 25), Qatar (+12), and Germany (+38 + 20). Saudi Arabia and Ukraine have also expressed interest (though Ukraine recently announced plans to acquire Gripens), and the aircraft is currently being offered to the Philippines. Previously, Typhoons were exported to Austria and Oman. The United Kingdom has not yet decided whether to replace its oldest Typhoons with new ones, even though they must be withdrawn by 2027 (on 1 July this year, 26 of 30 Tranche 1 aircraft were retired, according to Maria Eagle, Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry).
Our deal with Türkiye is a win for British workers, a win for our defence industry, and a win for our security. pic.twitter.com/7PpdKCEodo
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) October 27, 2025
I've just agreed a deal with Türkiye to secure 20,000 British jobs across the UK. pic.twitter.com/n9wCYL7rRj
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) October 27, 2025
Birleşik Krallık Başbakanı, değerli dostum Sayın Starmer’ı ülkemizde ağırlamaktan büyük memnuniyet duydum. 🇹🇷🇬🇧
Bugünkü görüşmelerimizin odağını ticaret ve savunma ilişkilerimiz teşkil etti. Ticaret hacmimizi 30 milyar dolara, ardından 40 milyar dolara çıkarma kararlılığındayız.… pic.twitter.com/XncirH0Hcd
— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) October 27, 2025
Birleşik Krallık Başbakanı Keir Starmer ile Anlaşmaların İmza Töreni ve Ortak Basın Toplantısı https://t.co/LnwRRHiYnY
— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) October 27, 2025
Birleşik Krallık Başbakanı Keir Starmer'ı Resmî Karşılama Töreni https://t.co/OGeTECvzCj
— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) October 27, 2025
The UK Government has announced an agreement with the Republic of Türkiye for the purchase of 20 @eurofighter Typhoon aircraft, sustaining more than 20,000 highly skilled jobs across the UK supply chain.
This deal, worth £5.4bn, is great news for the UK – boosting @NATO… pic.twitter.com/C5kBcKiuHQ
— BAE Systems (@BAESystemsplc) October 27, 2025
