Turkey to buy 20 Eurofighter Typhoons from UK for up to 8 billion pounds

Turkey has signed an agreement with the United Kingdom to buy 20 Eurofighter Typhoon jets, and is separately negotiating with Qatar and Oman to buy used Typhoons, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and British officials said, as Ankara moves to modernize its air force ahead of its domestically built KAAN fighter entering service. The purchase signed during British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to Ankara on Monday is worth up to 8 billion pounds and is intended as part of a broader, interim fleet to strengthen Turkey’s capabilities until newer systems are available.

The bilateral agreement covers the procurement of 20 Typhoons, with first deliveries expected around 2030, Downing Street and British defence officials said. Turkish officials have described the deal as part of a transitional plan in which Ankara aims ultimately to field 120 fighter aircraft: 40 Eurofighters, 40 U.S.-made F-16s and 40 F-35s, until the domestically developed fifth-generation KAAN is expected to enter service in 2028 at the earliest. Erdogan said talks with Qatar and Oman on acquiring secondhand Eurofighters are “progressing positively,” adding immediate purchases from Gulf partners would help fill...