UPDATE: The finalization of the deal — which Ankara had been pursuing for quite some time — was announced by Starmer’s spokesperson. The British Prime Minister himself, who visited the Turkish aerospace industry where the Turkish KAAN fighter jets are being built, stated that the signed deal secured 20,000 new jobs for his fellow citizens.

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Shortly after 16:30 local time, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer passed through the gate of the presidential palace in Ankara, where he was welcomed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan with a mounted military guard and cannon salutes.

Following the welcoming ceremony, the two leaders held a private meeting and discussions between delegations from both countries. According to the schedule, an official dinner and press statements followed.

The main issue on the agenda of UK-Turkey talks was the agreement for the sale of Eurofighter fighter jets to Turkey. The English-language news website Middle East Eye reports that Starmer sent two Eurofighters to Ankara prior to his arrival. It is not clear whether these aircraft will remain in Turkey or if it was merely a symbolic gesture by the British Prime Minister.

Sources indicate that Ankara’s plan to strengthen the Turkish Air Force envisions a “mix” of 40-40-40 — that is, Eurofighters, F-35s, and the domestically produced KAAN.

During his recent tour of Gulf countries, Turkish President Erdoğan intended to raise the issue of purchasing used Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets for Turkey from Qatar and Oman. Reuters, citing an anonymous source, reported that Turkey is close to signing an agreement to acquire 12 Eurofighters from the two countries. The sale of used aircraft requires the approval of the Eurofighter consortium, which consists of the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and Spain.

Turkey has already signed a memorandum with the UK for the purchase of Eurofighter jets on July 23. London was one of Turkey’s main supporters in lifting German objections to the sale of the fighters.

The head of the Directorate of Communications of the Turkish presidency, Burhanettin Duran, stated that the meeting will discuss strategic relations between Turkey and the UK, which are based on a close alliance, as well as current regional and international developments. The agenda also includes developments in Gaza, the war in Ukraine, broader defense cooperation, bilateral trade, and more.

Keir Starmer is accompanied in Ankara by UK Defense Secretary John Healey and Royal Air Force Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Harv Smith.

Thursday in Ankara: Merz – Unknown if the Eurofighter deal will be finalized

Ahead of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s visit to Ankara next Thursday, the federal government reiterated the importance of Turkey as a partner but again avoided revealing whether the meeting with Turkish President Erdoğan would finalize the delivery of Eurofighter fighter jets.

“This visit is indeed very important for us. Turkey, not only as a NATO partner but also as a dialogue partner, plays an important role in many political issues. It has done so in recent months as well,” said Deputy Government Spokesperson Steffen Mayer, who, however, declined to answer questions regarding the Eurofighters, emphasizing that he does not wish to preempt the content of the talks. In the same vein, he noted that some preliminary meetings between Chancellor Merz and President Erdoğan have already taken place, “and in this context, we are expanding our discussions.”

“There is a range of bilateral issues that are important, and there are also foreign policy issues that are significant,” Mayer added, citing the war of Russia against Ukraine as an example.

When asked whether rule-of-law issues will also be raised during the visit, the spokesperson said that this is the chancellor’s first visit to Turkey, “so the focus will be on bilateral matters,” but he also stressed that “democratic fundamental values and human rights are very important for the government, and this applies to all our talks.”

Regarding the judicial process against Istanbul’s former mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, Deputy Spokesperson of the German Foreign Ministry Martin Giese stated that, for this case as well as all similar cases, Berlin calls for the charges to be clarified as soon as possible and transparently, with procedures based on the principles of the rule of law.

German media, however, highlight the change in the Merz government’s approach toward Turkey. “Germany flirts with Erdoğan: The soft approach to Turkey despite repression,” is the headline in Frankfurter Rundschau, which notes that Berlin is promoting a “positive agenda” in relations with Turkey, with human rights and the democratic deficit in Turkey taking a back seat. “While the imprisonment of opposition leader Ekrem İmamoğlu is one of the known points of conflict (…) Berlin currently refrains from applying public pressure,” the newspaper states, explaining that the shift in Germany’s foreign policy perspective is mainly due to geopolitical reasons, given Ankara’s role, particularly in the Israel-Hamas conflict. In this context, FR notes, the German government approved the delivery of Eurofighter jets to Turkey.

Migration issues, the deputy government spokesperson said today, will also be included in the agenda of Chancellor Merz’s meeting with President Erdoğan. According to the latest figures from the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Turkey is the country to which Germany deported the most migrants in the first three quarters of this year. Of a total of 17,651 deported, 1,614 were deported to Turkey.