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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Tuesday reviewed developments surrounding Türkiye’s procurement of Eurofighter jets during a phone call that also touched on bilateral relations and regional crises, including Gaza.
“The call addressed Türkiye–United Kingdom bilateral relations, as well as regional and global issues, and reviewed the progress made regarding the procurement of Eurofighter jets,” said Türkiye’s Communications Directorate on X.
Türkiye aims to acquire 40 Eurofighter Typhoon jets — a project requiring unanimous approval from all four manufacturing partners: the UK, Germany, Italy, and Spain. The UK has expressed support for the deal, and Germany — long seen as the main obstacle — signaled a policy shift in November 2024 following talks between Erdogan and then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz. More recently, Chancellor Friedrich Merz also indicated positive momentum toward authorizing the sale..
Erdogan told Starmer he was hopeful that talks to update the Türkiye–UK Free Trade Agreement would conclude successfully within the year.
He also raised urgent concerns over the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, warning that deaths from starvation cannot be prevented unless humanitarian aid is allowed in without delay.
The phone call came as Erdogan inaugurated the 17th International Defense Industry Fair (IDEF) in Istanbul, framing the event as a symbol of Türkiye’s growing independence and strength in the global arms industry.
“Today, we are not only witnessing the development of the Turkish defense industry, but also the march of a nation toward independence,” Erdogan said during the opening ceremony. “We are seeing the story of a country rising under its own sky, on its own wings.”
He emphasized that Türkiye had overcome “embargoes, double standards, and diplomatic pressures” to become a major player in defense exports.
Organized under the auspices of the presidency and the coordination of the Defense Ministry and the Defense Industries Secretariat, IDEF 2025 spans six days across four venues: the Istanbul Fair Center, Atatürk Airport, Wow Hotel, and Atakoy Marina.
This year’s exhibition showcases armored combat and tactical vehicles, unmanned land, air, and sea platforms, weapon systems, electronic warfare solutions, anti-tank missiles, and military simulation technologies. Major signing ceremonies are expected as global delegations attend.
The previous edition was held in July 2023.
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