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The German government is reportedly preparing to approve the long-delayed sale of Eurofighter Typhoon jets to Türkiye, German media reported Thursday, marking a potential breakthrough in a years-long defense procurement process.
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—comprising Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Spain—to export aircraft to Türkiye.
The U.K. had submitted a formal offer to sell around 40 Eurofighter jets to Türkiye in March, but all four partner nations in the consortium must sign off on any export deal. The sale had previously been blocked by members of Germany’s former ruling coalition, particularly the Greens and Social Democrats.
However, according to Handelsblatt, the current federal government is now expected to lift its veto and support the transaction.
Speaking Wednesday at a press conference following the NATO summit in The Hague, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed that Türkiye is engaged in ongoing talks with both the United Kingdom and Germany regarding the Eurofighter program. He described the latest developments as “positive.”
Erdogan also met with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on the summit’s sidelines. Merz later praised Türkiye’s diplomatic efforts toward securing a ceasefire and peace agreement in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
Türkiye’s interest in acquiring Eurofighters began in 2022 as part of efforts to modernize its aging fighter fleet amid delays in procuring F-16s from the United States. The procurement process has evolved through several key phases:
According to defense industry sources, the proposed package includes 20 second-hand Tranche 1 jets from the U.K. and 20 new-generation Tranche 4 aircraft, which are expected to enter service by 2030.
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