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Defense Minister Yasar Guler received Saturday BAE Systems CEO Charles Woodburn and UK Ambassador to Türkiye Jill Morris at the ministry headquarters for discussions on critical defense cooperation matters.
The Ministry of National Defense announced the meeting on social media, stating: “Defense Minister Yasar Guler received BAE Systems CEO Charles Woodburn and UK Ambassador Jill Morris. Air Force Commander Gen. Ziya Cemal Kadioglu also participated in the reception.”
The talks, held in Ankara, are seen as part of ongoing negotiations over Türkiye’s procurement of Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets from the United Kingdom and its partner nations.
The discussions hold critical importance within the framework of Türkiye’s Eurofighter Typhoon procurement process from the United Kingdom. At the end of 2024, a technical delegation from the Eurofighter consortium—comprising the UK, Italy, Spain, and Germany—conducted three weeks of negotiations in Ankara.
Ministry of National Defense officials announced on March 13, 2025, that they had received an offer from the UK for the procurement of 40 Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft.
However, uncertainty remains over whether the German government will approve the delivery of the fighter jets to Türkiye. According to recent German media reports, the German government is now preparing to approve the long-delayed sale.
Citing defense industry sources and senior officials, Handelsblatt reported that Berlin is poised to drop its opposition to the deal, paving the way for the Eurofighter consortium to export the aircraft to Türkiye.
Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz recently spoke during a live broadcast, reminding that the Armed Forces were conducting negotiations regarding the acquisition of F-35s from the United States. "There is positive momentum in negotiations with Germany, France, and the UK regarding the Eurofighter. Talks are advancing constructively," he said.
Türkiye's ruling Justice and Development (AK Party) Deputy Chairman and Party Spokesperson Omer Celik addressed the Eurofighter procurement process following a consultation meeting with President Erdogan and said, "Europe must act with more vision. Türkiye is a historical European power and vital to the continent’s security. Without Türkiye, there is no European security."
Celik also called for "concrete steps" to be taken urgently: "The delay in arms supply due to sanctions is a product of political shortsightedness. We are pleased to see more favorable developments. Now is the time for action."
Meanwhile, speaking after a bilateral meeting with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan noted progress: “Our cooperation in the defense industry is going extremely well. From Eurofighter procurement to joint work in other areas, our companies and relevant institutions are working well on this matter.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also addressed the Eurofighter procurement during a press conference at the NATO Leaders Summit, stating: “We held, are holding discussions with both the UK and Germany, and there are positive developments on this matter.”
When asked about increasing defense spending and Eurofighter talks with Germany, Erdogan said: “We held, are holding our discussions with both the UK and Germany regarding Eurofighter, and there are positive developments on this matter. We hope that we will take our steps after completely realizing these positive developments.”
Erdogan also commented on ongoing discussions with the United States regarding fighter aircraft: “We didn't discuss the S-400 in our meeting with Mr. Trump. That’s not on our agenda; that’s a finished matter. We certainly discussed the F-35 issue.”
He noted that Türkiye had made payments of approximately $1.3–1.4 billion for F-35s and saw good faith from Trump on the matter: “Our responsible colleagues continue their work regarding maintenance and repair of our F-16s and acquisition of F-35s.”
Erdogan expressed optimism about responses from European partners: “Our hope is that they respond positively to this good faith of ours in the UK and Germany. Our work continues.”
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