Turkey agrees to buy 20 Typhoon jets in $11bn deal with UK

British PM Keir Starmer's first visit to Ankara since taking office comes as Nato allies deepen defence co-operation

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan inspect a guard of honour at the presidential palace in Ankara. Reuters

Britain has struck a deal to sell 20 Typhoons to Turkey, the first new orders for the multirole fighter jet in nearly a decade.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed the £8 billion ($11 billion) deal during a visit to Ankara on Monday, describing it as “a win for British workers, a win for our defence industry, and a win for Nato security”.

The agreement is the UK's largest for jet exports in a generation, and the first new order for UK Typhoons since 2017, helping support thousands of British jobs.

The Nato allies are keen to deepen defence co-operation, while Ankara also seeks to leverage the advanced jets to bolster its air power.

Mr Starmer said the deal also represented a boost for Nato security. “Having that capability locked in with the United Kingdom is really important for Nato,” he told journalists in Turkey.

After signing the agreement at the presidential palace in Ankara, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: "We regard this as a new symbol of the strategic relations between our two close allies."

Monday’s deal represents the conclusion of long-running discussions, with Ankara reported to have been seeking to buy Typhoons since 2023.

In July, Defence Secretary John Healey signed a memorandum of understanding with his Turkish counterpart paving the way for the export deal after Germany lifted its veto on the sale over Ankara's stance on the Gaza war.

The jets − also known as Eurofighters − are produced in a partnership between the UK, Germany, Spain and Italy. Mr Erdogan thanked the leaders of the other members of the consortium for their "constructive approach".

In July, Turkey and the UK signed a preliminary deal for the Eurofighters, which are manufactured by a consortium led by Britain’s BAE Systems. The deal followed Germany’s reported decision to lift its long-standing opposition to the sale of the jets to Turkey.

Last week, Mr Erdogan toured three Gulf nations and held talks on the potential acquisition of used Typhoons. Turkey plans to buy 24 more Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets — 12 from Oman and 12 from Qatar — to strengthen its air fleet, the Defence Ministry said after Monday's signing.

Turkey views the purchase of Eurofighters and other advanced jets as an interim solution until its domestically developed fifth-generation Kaan fighter jet becomes operational. That is expected no earlier than 2028.

Mr Starmer visited the Turkish Aerospace Industries’ plant in Ankara, where he was briefed on the KAAN fighter jet, Turkey’s Defence Ministry said.

Turkey, a member of Nato, also seeks re-entry into the US-led F-35 fighter jet programme. It was excluded in 2019 due to its purchase of Russian-made S-400 missile defence systems, a move that America considered a security risk.

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  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, meets Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Ankara. AFP

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  Mr Erdogan and Mr Starmer review troops during a welcoming ceremony at the Presidential Complex in the Turkish capital. AFP

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  Mr Starmer visited Turkey to discuss regional and international developments, as well as a milestone fighter jet supply agreement. Reuters

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  Mr Starmer with Mr Erdogan at the Presidential Palace. Reuters

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  Mr Starmer takes part in a wreath-laying ceremony at Anitkabir mausoleum, the resting place of Turkey's founding father Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, in Ankara. Getty Images

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  Mr Starmer, right, takes part in the wreath-laying ceremony. Getty Images

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  Mr Starmer and UK Defence Secretary John Healey in front of a British Typhoon fighter jet, at Tusas airbase in Ankara. Getty Images

Mr Erdogan raised the issue of the sale of F-35 fighter jets during a recent meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House.

Turkish officials have said Turkey wants to acquire a total of 120 fighter jets – 40 Eurofighters, 40 US-made F-16s and 40F-35s – as a transitional fleet ahead of the KAAN’s entry into service.

About 37 per cent of the Typhoon production takes place in the UK, including final assembly at BAE Systems plants in Warton and Samlesbury, near Preston, Lancashire.

Downing Street said the Typhoon programme directly supported nearly 6,000 jobs at the two plants, with Monday’s deal saving the Warton production line.

The programme also supported more than 1,100 jobs in the south-west of England, including at the Rolls-Royce plant in Bristol, and 800 jobs in Scotland.

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Defence Secretary John Healey pose for a selfie with British armed forces personnel in front of a UK Typhoon fighter jet in Ankara. AFP

Mr Healey said: “This is another major export deal for the UK and is the biggest jet exports deal in a generation.

“It will pump billions of pounds into our economy and keep British Typhoon production lines turning long into the future.

“This deal goes far beyond the procurement of aircraft.

“It is the leading edge of the growing defence and industrial partnership between our two nations.”

In August, the UK secured a £10bn deal to supply the Norwegian Navy with at least five new warships.

Previous reporting suggested the UK would agree to provide 40 jets, rather than the 20 announced on Monday.

The first delivery of the new jets is expected to take place in 2030.

Mr Starmer’s visit to Ankara is his first trip to Turkey since becoming Prime Minister, although he has met President Recep Tayyip Erdogan several times at international summits.

During his visit, the Prime Minister laid a wreath at the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of the modern Turkish Republic, before finalising the Typhoon deal at the presidential palace in the Turkish capital.