In an effort to counter Greece’s clear air superiority over the Aegean, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is moving forward with large-scale purchases of both new and used Eurofighter Typhoon jets. On Monday afternoon, he signed a $10.7 billion agreement in Ankara for the acquisition of 24 Eurofighters, while late last week he stated that negotiations with Qatar and Oman for the purchase of 12 + 12 “lightly used” Eurofighters were in their final stages.

However, according to the British government, the first deliveries of the new jets are scheduled for 2030, while Turkish sources report that the used aircraft from the Gulf countries could start arriving as early as 2026.

The deal follows a preliminary memorandum signed in July between the two nations for the supply of up to 40 Typhoons, with the consent of the European members of the Eurofighter consortium — Germany, Italy, and Spain — represented by Airbus, BAE Systems, and Leonardo.

“This historic deal with Turkey is a victory for British workers, a victory for the defense industry, and a victory for NATO security,”
declared UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, adding that London and Ankara “play a decisive role at the two ends of Europe in tackling global challenges.”
Britain reportedly played a crucial role in easing Germany’s objections to the sale of weapons to Turkey.

UK Defence Secretary John Healey, accompanying Starmer in Ankara, described the agreement as “the largest fighter jet export in a generation,” adding that it “will keep the Typhoon production lines active for years” and “will strengthen NATO’s deterrent power in a critical region.”

Starmer also stated that Turkey’s order will secure around 20,000 jobs across the United Kingdom “for many years.” Under the Eurofighter program’s production allocation, about 37% of each aircraft will be manufactured in the UK, with the rest produced by partner nations.