A potential deal to provide Turkey with Eurofighter jets is in the works, spearheaded by the United Kingdom and still in the early stages, according to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
During a press conference in Istanbul with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Scholz mentioned that negotiations for the project, led by the UK government, have just begun.
Scholz emphasized the importance of NATO membership for Turkey and stated that decisions will be made to ensure successful deliveries of the jets.
Although there has been no official response from the British government yet, Ankara had previously expressed interest in acquiring the Eurofighter jets. However, talks have been slow due to political tensions, particularly Germany’s reservations regarding Turkey’s actions in the Gaza conflict.
Recently, Berlin approved significant arms shipments to Turkey, including anti-aircraft missiles valued at hundreds of millions of euros. This marks a notable shift in Germany’s approach to arms exports to Turkey following past military actions by the Turkish government.
Erdogan highlighted Scholz’s efforts to ease German restrictions on defense sales to Turkey and expressed his desire to strengthen cooperation in the defense industry.
The Eurofighter Typhoon jets are manufactured by a consortium involving Airbus, BAE Systems, and Leonardo, with participation from Germany, the UK, Italy, and Spain. While London is leading the negotiations, any of the four nations could veto the sale.
In the past, Germany was a significant supplier of armaments to Turkey, but recent years have seen a decline in German weapons exports to the country.
Relations between Germany and Turkey have been strained, in part due to disagreements over Turkey’s military actions and international policies. German export permits to Turkey were reduced following Ankara’s offensive in Syria in 2016.
Erdogan criticized Israel for its actions in Gaza, accusing them of genocide and calling for international pressure to allow more humanitarian aid to reach the region. Scholz, however, disagreed with Erdogan’s characterization of events and called for a ceasefire and the release of captives in Gaza, urging all civilian victims to be mourned equally.
