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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to visit Ankara on Monday, Oct. 27, for his first official trip to Türkiye to finalize a multibillion-dollar Eurofighter Typhoon deal, according to media reports.
Citing multiple sources, Middle East Eye reported that Türkiye and the United Kingdom are set to conclude the long-negotiated deal during Starmer’s visit. Two Eurofighter jets were sent to Ankara ahead of the trip, a Turkish source said, though it remains unclear whether the aircraft will stay in Türkiye or were deployed symbolically.
One source familiar with the talks said that under the draft arrangement, 20 of the 40 jets would be operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) to ensure faster delivery, while the remaining 20 would later be customized to Turkish specifications.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has reportedly postponed a cabinet meeting to accommodate Starmer’s visit. The trip coincides with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s planned visit to Türkiye on Oct. 30 for talks on bilateral relations and international issues.
Meanwhile, talks on selling 40 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets to Türkiye are in their final phase after Germany lifted its longstanding objections, Airbus Defense and Space CEO Michael Schoellhorn told Turkish news agency Anadolu.
Türkiye and the United Kingdom signed a memorandum of understanding on July 23, paving the way for Ankara to operate the Eurofighter Typhoon. The agreement followed approval by Germany’s Security Council for the export of 40 aircraft.
Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler and U.K. Secretary of State for Defense John Healey signed the MoU during the 17th International Defense Industry Fair (IDEF 2025) in Istanbul.
Turkish media outlets NTV and Aksam recently reported that the final Eurofighter deal is expected to be sealed during Starmer’s upcoming visit.
The development follows Erdogan’s three-nation Gulf tour this week. Speaking to journalists aboard his return flight from Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman, Erdogan revealed that Türkiye is also negotiating with the two Gulf states over potential Eurofighter acquisitions.
“We are currently conducting negotiations with two countries. One is Qatar, the other is Oman. I have conducted these discussions myself. My defense minister and foreign minister have also held these contacts. They will continue these discussions in the coming process,” Erdogan said.
“The negotiations, which involve many technical details, are progressing positively. We want to conclude them quickly and further strengthen our Air Forces. With the acquisition of these aircraft, our Air Forces will become much stronger,” he added.
The Eurofighter Typhoon—a multirole fighter jet distinguished by its canard-delta wing design and advanced aerodynamics—is capable of supercruise, sustained supersonic flight without afterburners.
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The Turkish Air Force currently operates about 240 F-16C/D aircraft and 25 F-4E/2020s. While the F-4Es were modernized in the early 2000s, they are nearing the end of their service life, and the F-16 fleet risks lagging behind regional peers in radar and electronic warfare capabilities.
The Eurofighter deal aims to meet Türkiye’s interim airpower needs following its removal from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program in 2019.
Initial efforts to purchase 40 F-16V aircraft and upgrade 79 existing F-16s were later revised to only cover the acquisition of new aircraft.
Meanwhile, Türkiye’s indigenous fifth-generation fighter, KAAN, remains under development as a long-term solution, while the Ozgur project to modernize current F-16s with locally produced mission systems continues in parallel.
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