Erdogan Presses Merz on Eurofighter Deal at NATO Summit

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is set to urge German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to back Türkiye’s long-pending request to buy Eurofighter Typhoon jets, in a critical meeting on the sidelines of the NATO summit in The Hague on Wednesday.

Türkiye is aiming to acquire more than 20 Eurofighter jets—including both new Tranche 4 models and older, second-hand variants—and plans to spend about €10 billion on the package, which includes Meteor air-to-air missiles produced by MBDA, a European defense joint venture.

UK Offer Rekindles Hopes, Berlin’s Approval Remains Crucial

Ankara received a formal pricing offer from the UK in March, a move that Turkish officials say signaled progress after years of stalled negotiations. The Eurofighter consortium—comprising the UK’s BAE Systems, Airbus, and Italy’s Leonardo—requires export approval from all member states, including Germany, which has previously blocked the sale due to tensions over Eastern Mediterranean disputes between Türkiye and Greece.

“We do not find it right to impose barriers to defense trade among allies,” Erdoğan stated before departing for the summit.

Beyond the jets, Türkiye is still awaiting German approvals for spare parts for its Leopard tanks, submarines, and other German-origin platforms.

Simultaneous Bid for US Fighter Jets and Engine Co-Production

Alongside European outreach, Erdoğan also plans to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump to seek greenlights for new F-16 purchases and Türkiye’s reintegration into the F-35 program—access lost in 2019 over Ankara's S-400 deal with Russia. Turkish officials have also floated co-production of fighter engines as part of a broader reset in US-Türkiye defense ties.

Aiming to Modernize Amid Regional Crises

Türkiye’s pursuit of the Eurofighter and U.S. aircraft reflects a wider effort to modernize its air force amid intensifying regional threats. The country, already the second-largest operator of U.S.-made F-16s, has never operated non-U.S. fighter platforms. Ongoing instability in the Middle East—particularly the Israel-Iran conflict—and Russia’s war in Ukraine have pushed Ankara to diversify and reinforce its aerial capabilities.