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Turkish pilots have begun flight training as part of the Eurofighter Typhoon procurement program, Türkiye's Defense Ministry announced.
The ministry said on the social media platform X that the training process, launched in August under the agreement signed with the United Kingdom, has progressed to its next stage.
Turkish Air Force Command pilots successfully completed their terminology training before moving on to flight training.
Türkiye's pursuit of the Eurofighter Typhoon dates back four decades.
Ankara was first offered participation in the then-emerging Eurofighter project in the mid-1980s during discussions to procure Tornado aircraft from the U.K., with the jet proposed to Türkiye again in the early 2000s and around 2010.
The current deal took shape after Germany, whose approval is required under the multinational program, authorized the sale in November 2024. Then-German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said at the time that Türkiye was examining the purchase of German defense systems, including the Eurofighter.
Germany's chancellor, Friedrich Merz, later reversed the previous government's opposition to Typhoon sales to Türkiye, citing improvements in Turkish-Greek relations and Ankara's commitment to using the aircraft solely within NATO frameworks.
Türkiye submitted its technical requirements to the U.K. Ministry of Defense in January 2025 and received a formal proposal in March 2025.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and then-U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed an £8 billion ($10.8 billion) agreement in Ankara in October 2025 covering the purchase of 20 Eurofighter Typhoon jets, with a separate contract covering aircraft, equipment and munitions signed the same month.
Reuters later reported that the deal includes a weapons package featuring MBDA Meteor air-to-air missiles and Brimstone ground-attack missiles.
Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler has said six aircraft are expected to enter service in 2030, eight in 2031 and six in 2032. Guler said Türkiye aims to bring its total Eurofighter Typhoon inventory to 44 aircraft, including 20 from the U.K. and additional lightly used jets from Qatar and Oman.
In March 2026, Türkiye and the U.K. signed a follow-up agreement covering the maintenance and operational support of the aircraft, finalized in London between Guler and then-British Defense Secretary John Healey.
The Eurofighter Typhoon is jointly produced by the U.K., Germany, Italy and Spain under a consortium led by Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo, with roots in a joint requirements program launched in the final years of the Cold War.
Beyond the Eurofighter deal, Türkiye continues to modernize its air force through parallel programs, including the acquisition of F-16 Block 70 jets, renewed efforts to rejoin the F-35 program, and development of its indigenous KAAN fighter jet.
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