ANKARA, Oct 28 (NNN-TRT) – Türkiye signed a deal yesterday, to buy 20 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets from Britain, for eight billion pounds (10.64 billion U.S. dollars), as Ankara seeks to bolster its defence capabilities, amid a turbulent regional landscape.
Following the signing ceremony of the 10-year deal in Ankara, attended by visiting British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan hailed the agreement as “a new symbol of the strategic relations between our two close allies” and said, it “will also open the door to joint projects in the defence industry.”
Starmer, for his part, said the two countries were taking a step towards “a strengthened strategic partnership.”
With the first step of this cooperation between the two countries, Britain will supply Türkiye with 20 Eurofighter Typhoon jets, with the option to provide more in the future, he said.
This marks Starmer’s first visit to Türkiye since taking office as British prime minister, in July, 2024. During the trip, the two leaders held one-on-one talks at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, followed by inter-delegation meetings.
Earlier in the day, Turkish Defence Minister, Yasar Guler, told reporters that the country plans to purchase a total of 44 Eurofighter Typhoon jets – 12 from Qatar, 12 from Oman, and 20 from Britain – with deliveries expected to begin early next year.– NNN-TRT
