The MoU was signed by Turkish Minister of National Defence, Yaşar Güler, and UK Secretary of State for Defence, John Healey. It represents the first formal step towards Türkiye’s potential acquisition of the Eurofighter Typhoon.
Jorge Tamarit-Degenhardt, Chief Executive Officer of Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH, welcomed the announcement and expressed optimism about the next stages of negotiation. “Today’s MoU announcement is positive news for all parties involved and we look forward to supporting further discussions between Governments of Türkiye and the UK during the coming months,” he said.
Tamarit-Degenhardt also underlined the aircraft’s relevance in a shifting geopolitical environment. “It’s clear that we are living a critical moment for security across Europe and beyond, and, without doubt, the Typhoon jet is the major asset in keeping our skies safe,” he added.
The Eurofighter Typhoon is developed by a consortium of four nations: the UK, Germany, Italy and Spain. Mr Tamarit-Degenhardt emphasised that “the combined benefits of the Eurofighter Typhoon jet – and the depth of the programme – ensure our customers have the complete freedom of action and the ability to deliver essential air power capabilities.”
Türkiye is currently pursuing a total of 120 new fighter jets, including 40 Eurofighters, 40 F-16s from the United States, and 40 F-35s. Although removed from the F-35 programme in 2019 due to its purchase of Russian S-400 air defence systems, Türkiye has not withdrawn its request to rejoin the initiative.
Officials in Ankara stress that the F-35 remains vital for NATO interoperability and note Türkiye’s industrial contributions to the programme. Turkish manufacturers produced nearly 1,000 parts for the F-35, and the experience gained has also accelerated development of Türkiye’s own national fighter jet, KAAN.
