Türkiye is interested in purchasing Eurofighter Typhoon jets
Photo: Türkiye intends to buy Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft (Getty Images)
Türkiye is interested in purchasing 40 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets, despite reaching a deal with the United States to buy F-16s for $23 billion, reports Reuters.
Earlier, Turkish officials claimed to be in talks with Britain and Spain about purchasing Eurofighter Typhoon, although Germany denied this idea. A source in the Turkish Ministry of Defense reported that negotiations began after Ankara recognized that its request for the supply of F-16 aircraft from the United States, first made in October 2021, might not materialize.
"We are still interested, we expect the consortium member Germany's positive approach on this issue," said an unnamed Turkish official.
Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft are manufactured by a consortium consisting of Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Spain.
What preceded
Türkiye's acquisition of the Russian S-400 missile defense system led to a deadlock in relations with Washington, prompting the latter to impose restrictions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
The United States also excluded Türkiye from the F-35 fighter jet program in 2019 in response to the purchase, claiming that the S-400 posed a threat to its fifth-generation combat aircraft.
However, on January 30, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland stated that Washington could discuss Türkiye's return to the F-35 fighter jet "family."
Furthermore, the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden previously officially notified Congress of its intention to initiate the sale of 40 F-16 aircraft and nearly 80 upgrade kits to Türkiye after Ankara completed the ratification of Sweden's NATO membership.
