The German government’s road to exporting Eurofighter Typhoon jets to Türkiye has eliminated key obstacles to major arms deals involving Britain.
German government spokesman Stefan Kornelius confirmed in Berlin on Wednesday that the Ministry of Defense had sent a written authorization to Ankara. He said the Turkish government must now decide whether to proceed with the order.
The move comes after an earlier announcement from the UK and Türkiye on Wednesday, which signed a letter of intent to increase the potential agreement for sale for 40 European fighters.
The jets were rallying in the UK, part of a multinational alliance involving Germany, Italy and Spain, meaning that all four countries must ratify any export agreements.
The British Ministry of Defense called the agreement a “important step”, saying it would enhance NATO’s deterrence capabilities and support thousands of defense efforts.
British Defense Secretary John Healey described the billion-pound deal as a “main milestone”.
Türkiye aims to modernize air defense
Türkiye popped up from the U.S.-led F-35 fighter program in 2019 after acquiring Russia’s S-400 missile defense system, which is seeking to diversify its defense procurement.
U.S. officials at the time believed the S-400 could damage sensitive F-35 stealth data and pose a security risk.
The Turkish Ministry of Defense told DPA on Wednesday that the planned Eurofighter purchase has nothing to do with the F-35 dispute but is part of a broader strategy to modernize the Air Force.
Analysts point out that Ankara will need to invest in new infrastructure and training before jets are delivered and become operational.
Transformation of export policies Berlin
Germany’s participation in the Eurofighter Consortium had previously stopped the deal as Berlin did not sign the necessary export license.
Weapons to NATO partner Turkey have long been politically sensitive due to concerns about Ankara’s human rights record and foreign interventions. Berlin greatly scaled the export of reserve weapons after Türkiye conducted military operations in Syria in 2016.
But the coalition, which took power in early May, was under the conservative-led Prime Minister Friedrich Merz, which took power in early May, and export approvals rose again.
However, this was followed by a September 2024 when Green Party Minister Robert Habeck’s then-led Ministry of Economic Affairs announced that it also announced a wider range of weapons shipped to Turkey, including torpedoes, missiles and subsea components.
