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Türkiye's Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet procurement plan is showing signs of a potential shift in sourcing, with Qatar emerging as a stronger candidate for additional aircraft while Oman's track appears to be losing momentum, according to Turkish defense media outlet TurDef.
Britain and Türkiye finalized the agreement on Oct. 27, 2025, for up to £8 billion ($10.9 billion), marking the largest British fighter aircraft export deal in a generation. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed the agreement during Starmer's first official visit to Ankara.
TurDef reports that the Turkish Air Force (TurAF) has taken a positive view of the Tranche 3A Typhoons available through Qatar, as these aircraft are configured with at least ECRS MK0 AESA radar sets, offering an AESA-enabled sensor and data-link architecture.
This configuration supports more effective beyond-visual-range engagement concepts, including operational use of Meteor missiles.
By contrast, Oman's aircraft rely on a conventional Doppler radar baseline and avionics package that falls short of the standards expected of Qatar's fleet. Bringing these aircraft to a more modern configuration would require significant, time-consuming upgrades at additional cost, according to the report.
The report also claimed that Oman, which previously approached Türkiye with transfer proposals, has hardened its negotiating position as talks became more concrete.
Türkiye is expected to receive its first Eurofighter Typhoon from Qatar's inventory by the end of February, following the completion of negotiations, with Turkish pilots already undergoing training on the aircraft, according to sources cited by Turkish media.
TurDef has reported that both pilot training and maintenance training related to the aircraft have already begun in Qatar. However, sources note Türkiye is not inclined to relocate aircraft before flight and maintenance training pipelines reach sufficient maturity.
Ankara aims to ensure operational readiness, sustainment planning and logistics support are in place at the time of arrival.
Initial basing is expected to be in Eskisehir, where the Turkish Air Force already operates twin-engine platforms such as the F-4, providing existing infrastructure and experience for early sustainment.
The Turkish Air Force Commander conducted a trilateral meeting in Qatar on Jan. 18-19 with the commanders of the U.K. and Qatar air forces within the scope of Typhoon procurement talks.
Following the meeting, several discussions began to surface in defense circles. First, Türkiye may seek to secure 12 additional aircraft from Qatar. Second, it has been claimed that the first 12 aircraft to be sourced from Qatar could arrive in Türkiye as early as February.
Qatar originally decided in 2017 to procure 24 Tranche 3A Typhoons through a structure widely reported as 12 firm aircraft and 12 options. The program's main delivery phase has progressed with 12 aircraft publicly confirmed as delivered by 2023. However, Qatar has not issued an official statement regarding the status of the optional batch.
Türkiye is increasingly focused on the Qatar track, assessing whether aircraft that would otherwise require time-consuming modernization under the Oman plan could be replaced by additional Qatar-configured aircraft assessed as closer to the desired baseline.
In recent weeks, the U.K. ambassador to Ankara and the CEO of BAE Systems visited Türkiye and met with Defense Minister Yasar Guler.
Sources cited by TurDef expect follow-on steps after these engagements, including measures to ensure Typhoon availability rates can be sustained at high tempo.
Türkiye traditionally seeks to reduce external dependency in sustainment and logistics. A capability is expected to be established in Eskisehir to support maintenance and sustainment of the Typhoon fleet, potentially including engine-level work.
The Türkiye-U.K. agreement signed in October 2025 focused primarily on aircraft and munitions procurement. A separate follow-on arrangement is expected to address the sustainment architecture required to keep the fleet continuously operational.
Defense Minister Guler announced on Dec. 21, 2025, the delivery timeline for the acquisition. Under the original method, Türkiye was expected to acquire 12 aircraft from Qatar for delivery in 2026, followed by modernized aircraft sourced from Oman for delivery in 2028, and 20 new-build aircraft from the U.K. between 2030 and 2032.
The U.K. delivery schedule includes six aircraft in 2030, eight in 2031 and six in 2032.
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