Turkey Signs £8B Deal for 20 British Eurofighter Jets

Turkey has signed a landmark £8 billion ($10.7 billion) deal with Britain to purchase 20 Eurofighter Typhoon jets, marking the biggest fighter jet export deal in a generation and a key enhancement of defense cooperation between the NATO allies. The deal, signed by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, aims to modernize Turkey's air force, which currently relies heavily on older F-16 jets, and strengthen Turkey's regional defense capabilities amid ongoing tensions, especially with Israel. This agreement follows earlier preliminary plans for 40 jets and is expected to support the UK defense industry by sustaining production lines and securing jobs. Turkey also plans to acquire an additional 24 jets from Gulf states Oman and Qatar, with the first deliveries from the UK scheduled for 2030. Despite the enthusiasm, some analysts have criticized the deal's high cost, calling the price per aircraft unusually expensive. Overall, the deal reinforces Turkey's role as a critical NATO security partner, especially for bolstering the alliance's eastern flank and enhancing interoperability.