Türkiye has officially signed a £5.4 billion agreement with the United Kingdom to purchase 20 new Eurofighter Typhoon jets, marking the first new Typhoon export order for the UK since 2017. The deal was announced by Downing Street as Prime Minister Keir Starmer paid his first official visit to Ankara at the invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The total value of the deal is expected to reach £8 billion, which is the stated value by the UK authorities, with the inclusion of support/training contracts to be signed later.
According to the UK government, the contract will sustain thousands of skilled jobs across BAE Systems’ production facilities in Warton and Samlesbury, as well as at Rolls-Royce in Bristol and Leonardo in Edinburgh.
Prime Minister Starmer described the deal as “a win for British workers, a win for our defence industry, and a win for NATO security,” adding that Türkiye’s acquisition “will allow our Armed Forces to work even closer together as we deter threats and protect our national interests.”
Defence Secretary John Healey, who accompanied Starmer to Ankara, underlined that the Typhoon purchase “goes far beyond the procurement of aircraft,” calling it “the leading edge of the growing defence and industrial partnership between our two nations.”
The first deliveries to Türkiye are expected in 2030. Each aircraft will be newly manufactured, with at least 37 percent of production taking place in the UK, including final assembly and integration at Warton. The 2030 delivery timeline leaves room for the integration of the newer Mk2 AESA radar or a potential Tranche 5 configuration, as Tranche 4 aircraft equipped with Mk1 radars would normally be expected by 2028.
The announcement does not end speculation that Türkiye could still acquire used Typhoons from Qatar or Oman, but it confirms that brand-new aircraft will also be produced directly from the UK line.
BAE Systems CEO Charles Woodburn said Türkiye’s procurement “marks the start of a new chapter in our longstanding relationship with this important NATO ally,” adding that the agreement “extends Typhoon production and preserves crucial sovereign skills which underpin the UK’s defence and security.”
Author: Özgür Ekşi
