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Talks on selling 40 Eurofighter Typhoon jets to Türkiye are approaching final stages, with Germany lifting its longstanding reservations about the sale, according to Airbus Defense and Space CEO Michael Schoellhorn.
In an exclusive interview with state-run Anadolu Agency (AA), Schoellhorn said Germany's past objections have been overcome, and the new coalition government led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz has made clear it will not block the sale to NATO's second-largest military force.
"The German government has stated very clearly: we will not be blocking, we support the idea of delivering Eurofighters to Türkiye," Schoellhorn said, adding, "I think in terms of the German export control discussions, those are a thing of the past."
The multi-role combat aircraft are jointly manufactured by the U.K., Germany, Italy and Spain through the Eurofighter consortium. BAE Systems, the U.K. partner, is now leading negotiations with Ankara for the purchase of approximately 40 aircraft.
"Now it's a commercial and technical discussion that takes place between Eurofighter—in this case led by BAE Systems, our partner in the Eurofighter consortium—and the Turkish state," the CEO said, adding that he is "very optimistic the talks with Ankara will conclude successfully soon."
Türkiye and the United Kingdom signed a historic memorandum of understanding (MoU) on July 23, allowing Ankara to operate Eurofighter Typhoon fighter planes.
The agreement followed Germany's Security Council approval of the sale of 40 Eurofighter jets.
Turkish National Defense Minister Yasar Guler and U.K. Secretary of State for Defense John Healey signed the memorandum of understanding during the 17th International Defense Industry Fair (IDEF 2025) in Istanbul.
"Equipping Türkiye with Typhoons would strengthen NATO's collective defense, and boost both our countries' industrial bases," Healey said at the signing ceremony.
Charles Woodburn, chief executive of BAE Systems, welcomed the agreement. "This Memorandum of Understanding between the governments of Türkiye and the U.K. underscores the importance of their long-standing defense cooperation through NATO and the critical role Typhoon plays in security and defense in Europe and the Middle East," Woodburn said.
During the signing ceremony, Turkish National Defense Minister Guler outlined acquisition plans. "We plan to acquire some 40 units of the aircraft — there are various options and we're currently working on them," Guler said.
The deal's progression follows a significant shift in German policy. Previous German governments had blocked or slowed the sale, with the Social Democrat-led coalition government raising reservations largely due to opposition from its coalition partner, the Greens.
When Chancellor Friedrich Merz formed a new government in May, however, the policy changed. His Conservatives emphasized the need to scale up Europe's defense industry and strengthen NATO's capabilities amid new geopolitical challenges.
President Erdogan confirmed the positive trajectory of negotiations during remarks aboard his aircraft following a three-nation Gulf tour. "We are conducting negotiations on Eurofighter fighter aircraft purchases with Qatar and Oman. The negotiations we are conducting on this matter, which involve many technical details, are progressing positively," Erdogan said.
He noted that the Turkish defense minister coordinated the discussions with Qatari and Omani counterparts, adding that with the acquisition of these aircraft, the Turkish Air Forces "will become much stronger."
Schoellhorn said the Eurofighter deal could establish a long-term collaboration with Türkiye, as production scales up and more advanced models with new technologies are developed.
"Eurofighter is more than just an aircraft. There's a system behind it. There's a weapon set behind it. There is, in the future, connectivity that's coming with it. There will be man-unmanned teaming solutions," Schoellhorn said, referring to emerging technology enabling collaboration between a human pilot and an AI-controlled or autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle.
"If Türkiye becomes part of the Eurofighter club, if I may say, there are a lot of user groups that we have where the users come together, they exchange ideas, you learn together, you learn faster. And we interface as an industry with these user groups so that we can provide solutions that the users really want. So it's much more than just buying an aircraft," he said.
Eurofighter Typhoon jets are currently used by five European countries—the U.K., Germany, Italy, Spain and Austria—and four Gulf nations, including Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and Qatar.
Schoellhorn, who served as a helicopter pilot in the German military before joining the defense industry, expressed confidence in Turkish aerospace capabilities. He said he has had many opportunities throughout his career to visit Turkish industries and collaborate with Turkish partners.
"I have learned by myself the capabilities and the skills of the Turkish industry in general. So that's an asset to have. Now, Türkiye has invested a lot into defense and that's being seen," Schoellhorn said.
He noted existing collaboration between Airbus and Turkish partners on the Hurjet jet trainer, with Spain planning to purchase the aircraft manufactured by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI).
"We are actually already collaborating, for instance, with my Spanish part of Airbus. We are collaborating with Türkiye on the jet trainer, on the Hurjet that will be bought likely by Spain and we are in discussions on how we can do that together," he said.
Schoellhorn emphasized that European governments must increase defense spending and facilitate Europe-wide collaboration, as recent geopolitical developments have shown that Europe cannot rely exclusively on the United States for its defense and security.
"I think the European governments have realized in what situation Europe is, security-wise. I think they have also realized that they cannot solely depend on the U.S.," Schoellhorn said.
"The U.S. might be having to do something else, so Europe needs to ramp it up. And that's happening," he added.
He noted that defense spending and financial resources for the industry have increased in recent years, but emphasized that more strategic coordination is needed.
"When it comes to agreeing on what the strategic priorities are, what should the money go to first? Is there a plan behind it? I think there is still discussion needed. Because obviously, we can't do everything in a few years that was not done in 30 years. But I think we are on a good track," he noted.
Schoellhorn expressed hope for closer cooperation between European and Turkish defense industries, which has been limited in recent years due to political differences and objections from several EU members—specifically Greece and the Greek Cypriot Administration (GCA)—to including Türkiye in joint EU defense procurement programs.
"Industry is not the one to decide what the politicians should deal with amongst themselves. I think these should be resolved by discussion," Schoellhorn said.
"Türkiye is not part of the EU, but Türkiye is a member of NATO. And as such, there should be a way and a route for collaboration," he added.
The Eurofighter Typhoon is a multirole fighter distinguished by its canard delta wing and advanced aerodynamics. A standout capability is its ability to achieve supercruise—sustained supersonic flight without afterburners.
The aircraft measures 15.96 meters long, 10.95 meters wide, and weighs 11 tons empty with a maximum takeoff weight of 23.5 tons. The aircraft is available in both single-seat and twin-seat variants.
The Typhoon's mission systems feature the Captor-E active electronically scanned array radar, advanced mission computer, Link 16 datalink, and electro-optical sensors. Its self-defense capability is enhanced by electronic warfare systems, flare and chaff dispensers, and radar warning receivers.
The aircraft supports extensive weapons payload capacity with advanced air-to-air missiles including Meteor, AIM-120 AMRAAM, IRIS-T and ASRAAM, alongside precision-guided munitions including Brimstone, Storm Shadow and the Paveway series, as well as cruise missiles such as Taurus. The aircraft is also equipped with a 27mm Mauser BK-27 cannon.
Powered by two EJ200 turbofan engines developed by the EUROJET consortium, the Eurofighter is manufactured in progressive stages known as tranches. Tranche 1 focused on air superiority, Tranche 2 introduced limited air-to-ground capability, Tranche 3A expanded to true multirole functionality, while Tranche 4 and 5 variants aim to deliver major upgrades including AESA radar, next-generation digital avionics and enhanced electronic warfare capabilities.
The Turkish Air Force currently operates approximately 240 F-16C/D aircraft and around 25 F-4E/2020s. While the F-4Es underwent extensive modernization in the early 2000s, they are now at the end of their operational life. The F-16C/D fleet risks falling behind—particularly in radar and electronic warfare capabilities — compared to advanced platforms entering service with regional air forces.
The Eurofighter acquisition addresses Türkiye's interim fighter requirements following its removal from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program in 2019.
Initial efforts had focused on purchasing 40 F-16V aircraft from the United States and upgrading 79 existing F-16s to the F-16V standard, though the package was later revised to cover only the acquisition of 40 new aircraft.
Türkiye's National Combat Aircraft KAAN is under development as a long-term solution. The Ozgur project—designed to equip Türkiye's current F-16 fleet with next-generation indigenous mission systems—continues in parallel with the Eurofighter acquisition.
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