Türkiye - United Kingdom Eurofighter Typhoon Combat Aircraft Cooperation Agreement

Türkiye - United Kingdom Eurofighter Typhoon Combat Aircraft Cooperation Agreement was signed on 27 October 2025 in Ankara at the Presidency Complex by the President of the Republic of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer. The agreement is a mutual understanding aimed at elevating defense industry cooperation between the two countries to an institutional level and strengthening strategic collaboration.

Background of the Agreement

The Türkiye - United Kingdom Eurofighter Typhoon Combat Aircraft Cooperation Agreement was signed on 27 October 2025 in Ankara. It was formally enacted during an official ceremony held at the Presidency Complex by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Prime Minister Keir Starmer. This mutual understanding constitutes the first high-level defense agreement that places Türkiye-UK defense industry cooperation within an institutional framework.

The Eurofighter Typhoon is a multirole combat aircraft jointly developed by four European countries: the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and Spain. Türkiye’s initiative to integrate with this platform has been regarded as the beginning of a new era in its relations with the European defense industry consortium.

Visit Process and Signing Ceremony

Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom undertook an official visit to Ankara on 27 October 2025 at the invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The visit was organized to enhance strategic partnership relations between the two countries, strengthen defense industry cooperation and address regional security issues.

Burhanettin Duran, President of the Presidency Communication Directorate, stated in a statement one day before the visit that relations between Türkiye and the United Kingdom are based on a “close alliance” and operate at a “strategic level.” According to the statement, discussions covered defense, trade, energy and regional matters.

Prime Minister Starmer and his delegation arrived in Ankara in the afternoon of 27 October. Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler welcomed Starmer with an official ceremony at the Mürted Air Base Command. Also participating in the visit were UK Defense Minister John Healey and Chief of the Royal Air Force Air Chief Marshal Harv Smyth.

F-16 Welcome in Turkish Airspace

The Ministry of National Defense announced that three Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft belonging to the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom had arrived in Türkiye. Upon entering Turkish airspace, these aircraft were escorted by Turkish Air Force F-16 fighter jets all the way to Ankara. This symbolic welcome carried the character of a gesture representing the core of air defense cooperation underpinning the agreement.

Following the welcome ceremony, the British delegation visited the facilities of Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc. (TUSAŞ). The visit was conducted under the supervision of Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler, during which Prime Minister Starmer received technical information about Türkiye’s national combat aircraft, the KAAN.

President Erdoğan and Prime Minister Starmer Signed Agreement on Eurofighter Typhoon Combat Aircraft - (Anadolu Ajansı)

TUSAŞ Visit and Ceremony

During the meeting at TUSAŞ, Turkish and British defense officials assessed joint R&D and production potential in aerospace technologies. Following his visit to TUSAŞ, Prime Minister Starmer proceeded to the Presidency Complex. President Erdoğan welcomed him with an official ceremony.

After the ceremony, Presidents Erdoğan and Starmer introduced their respective delegations and posed for the press in front of the national flags of both countries. The ceremony was attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan, Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler, Chief of the Presidency General Secretariat Hakkı Susmaz, President of the Presidency Communication Directorate Burhanettin Duran, Türkiye’s Ambassador to London Osman Koray Ertaş and Chief Presidential Security Advisor Akif Çağatay Kılıç.

Following the ceremony, a bilateral meeting chaired by the two leaders and a delegation-level working dinner were held, after which the Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft cooperation agreement was signed. The agreement was signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Prime Minister Keir Starmer during the same session.

This mutual understanding has been recorded as a historic development for Türkiye’s inclusion in a European-led combat aircraft program. In statements made during the signing ceremony, it was emphasized that the cooperation encompasses not only aircraft procurement but also defense industry production, technology sharing and mutual investment opportunities.

Content and Significance of the Agreement

The Eurofighter Typhoon Combat Aircraft Cooperation Agreement signed between Türkiye and the United Kingdom has institutionalized defense industry relations between the two countries. This agreement is not merely an aircraft procurement protocol but a comprehensive mutual understanding covering technological cooperation, defense production, joint R&D and strategic coordination.

The mutual understanding was signed on 27 October 2025 at the Presidency Complex by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer following their discussions.

Under the signed agreement, the UK government will provide Türkiye with 20 Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft. Options for future additional acquisitions have also been included in the agreement text. Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler further stated in a declaration that Türkiye plans to acquire 12 Eurofighter Typhoons each from Qatar and Oman, bringing the total number of aircraft integrated into the Turkish Armed Forces inventory to 44 in stages.

In this context, Türkiye has accepted technical cooperation provisions covering the implementation procedures for aircraft procurement as well as maintenance and integration infrastructure. The program aims to enhance air defense capabilities and foster joint development projects in defense technologies.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Signed the Eurofighter Typhoon Agreement - (Anadolu Ajansı)

NATO and Regional Security Dimension

The Eurofighter Typhoon agreement is viewed as a step strengthening air defense integration among NATO allies. Türkiye’s participation in this program aligns with strategic objectives aimed at enhancing the alliance’s collective defense capabilities. Prime Minister Starmer emphasized that the agreement would reinforce NATO’s spirit of solidarity, while President Erdoğan described this cooperation as a development that strengthens Türkiye’s defense capacity while enhancing intra-alliance coordination.

At the time the agreement was signed, ongoing conflicts in Gaza and the war in Ukraine conferred geopolitical significance to this accord. Both parties reaffirmed their determination to demonstrate a joint diplomatic stance in addressing these crises affecting international security.

Technical Characteristics and Significance of the Eurofighter Typhoon Combat Aircraft

Eurofighter Typhoon is a multirole combat aircraft developed by the Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH consortium comprising leading European aerospace companies: Airbus (Germany and Spain), BAE Systems (United Kingdom) and Leonardo S.p.A. (Italy).

The program’s foundations were laid with the European Combat Aircraft (ECF) studies initiated in 1979. It later evolved into the Future European Fighter Aircraft (FEFA) project with the participation of France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and Spain.

Following France’s withdrawal from the project in 1985, the remaining four countries united under the “European Fighter Aircraft (EFA)” program. This collaboration materialized with the first prototype’s flight in 1994, and the aircraft was officially named “Typhoon” in 1998.

The aircraft features a twin-engine, supersonic, canard-delta wing design. Originally planned for air superiority missions, continuous modernizations during its service life have transformed it into a fully multirole combat platform.

Eurofighter Typhoon is classified as a 4.5-generation combat aircraft and possesses the capabilities required for modern air-to-air and air-to-ground missions.

Eurofighter Typhoon Aircraft Delivered to Türkiye on 27 October 2025 - (Anadolu Ajansı)

Eurofighter Typhoon is known for its canard-delta wing configuration. This design provides high maneuverability, short takeoff capability and low drag. It is deliberately designed with static instability, enabling superior agility even at high angles of attack. This configuration necessitates the use of an advanced “fly-by-wire” (electronic flight control) system.

The aircraft is powered by EJ200 turbofan engines developed by the EUROJET Turbo GmbH consortium. These engines are produced by Rolls-Royce (United Kingdom), MTU Aero Engines (Germany), Avio Aero (Italy) and ITP Aero (Spain). Each aircraft is equipped with two EJ200 engines, which provide a maximum speed of Mach 2.0 thanks to their high thrust-to-weight ratio and fuel efficiency.

The Typhoon also features an advanced avionics suite that provides pilots with superior situational awareness. It has 13 external weapons stations and can carry over 7,500 kilograms of ordnance. It entered operational service in 2003 and is currently operated by the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and Spain, as well as Austria, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar.

Features of the Eurofighter Typhoon Combat Aircraft - (Anadolu Ajansı)

Strategic and Technological Gains for Türkiye

The agreement represents for Türkiye not only the acquisition of combat aircraft but also the transfer of knowledge in aerospace technology, electronic warfare systems and maintenance/modernization infrastructure.

Discussions at TUSAŞ facilities have brought to the forefront possibilities of technology sharing and joint R&D cooperation for future indigenous combat aircraft projects. In this context, Türkiye has not only secured a short-term enhancement of its air power but also taken a step toward long-term industrial gains. This cooperation through the Eurofighter Typhoon platform is expected to form the foundation of a lasting strategic partnership between the two countries in defense, economy, technology and diplomacy.

Technical and Logistical Support Agreement (25 March 2026)

Under the Eurofighter Typhoon Combat Aircraft Cooperation Agreement between the Republic of Türkiye and the United Kingdom, the technical and logistical support agreement for aircraft maintenance and operation was signed in London on 25 March 2026.

The agreement was signed by the Minister of National Defense of the Republic of Türkiye, Yaşar Güler, and the UK Defense Minister, John Healey, during Minister Güler’s official visit to the United Kingdom.

According to a statement by the Ministry of National Defense, discussions between the parties covered defense cooperation matters and evaluated technical arrangements for implementing the previously signed procurement agreement within the Eurofighter Typhoon Project.

The statement confirmed that the contract for the acquisition of aircraft, equipment and munitions under the Eurofighter Typhoon program was signed on October 2025; the technical and logistical support agreement, as a follow-up to this agreement, covers the necessary maintenance, sustainment and operational processes for the aircraft’s operational use. Both parties expressed their mutual intent to further strengthen defense industry cooperation in the coming period.