Breaking News: Germany’s green light on Eurofighter Multirole Aircraft sale empowers Türkiye’s air force modernization
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On June 26, 2025, Germany approved the long-blocked export of Eurofighter Typhoon jets to Türkiye, breaking years of political deadlock. The decision, which had already been publicly confirmed by Turkish Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler in November 2024 during an interview on TV100, was further reported by Handelsblatt, marking a decisive shift in Berlin’s arms export policy and Ankara’s push to modernize its air force. The approval comes after the formation of a new German government under Chancellor Friedrich Merz, which has adopted a more permissive stance on defense exports than the previous traffic light coalition. After years of objections, Germany’s policy reversal unlocks a major deal that Türkiye views as essential to closing a critical capability gap. Coordinated among all Eurofighter consortium members, Germany, the UK, Italy, and Spain, the decision revives long-frozen defense cooperation between two key NATO allies.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
Germany’s green light for the Eurofighter Typhoon sale to Türkiye marks a profound realignment in European defense policy and regional power dynamics (Picture source: Airbus)
The Eurofighter Typhoon, a multirole combat aircraft designed for air dominance and precision strike missions, is at the heart of Türkiye’s interim airpower strategy. With a top speed of Mach 2.0, delta-canard aerodynamics, and advanced ECRS AESA radar, the Typhoon delivers superior maneuverability and sensor fusion in contested environments. Armed with Meteor and AMRAAM missiles, precision-guided munitions, and equipped with advanced electronic warfare capabilities, it represents a proven and mature fourth-generation-plus fighter. The aircraft is well suited to Türkiye’s operational priorities, filling the gap between its aging F-16 fleet and the delayed rollout of the indigenous KAAN stealth fighter and F-16 Block 70s from the United States.
The Typhoon’s development began in the 1980s as a multilateral European project to preserve defense-industrial sovereignty. Although France exited the program early to pursue the Rafale, Germany, the UK, Italy, and Spain continued the initiative, leading to the Eurofighter consortium. Since entering service in the early 2000s, more than 600 Typhoons have been delivered to several countries, with ongoing upgrades ensuring combat relevance through new radar, software, and weapons packages. Türkiye now becomes the latest nation to adopt the platform, with a planned acquisition of 40 aircraft, 20 confirmed and 20 optional—following a formal offer made by the UK in March 2025.
Yaşar Güler, Türkiye’s Minister of National Defense and former Chief of the General Staff, had already confirmed in November 2024 that Germany was preparing to drop its long-standing objections. Speaking on TV100, Güler stated: “We will buy 40 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets. Germany has been resisting for a very long time, but finally, with the positive contributions of our NATO friends Italy, the UK and Spain, Germany has responded positively.” His remarks confirmed a turning point after months of diplomatic efforts by Ankara and lobbying from fellow consortium members. That German approval has now materialized in late June 2025, following a bilateral meeting between Chancellor Merz and President Erdoğan at the NATO summit in The Hague.
Türkiye’s strategic requirement for the Eurofighter stems from both structural vulnerabilities and regional security imperatives. With its fleet of F-4 Phantoms fully retired and parts of its F-16 inventory nearing obsolescence, Türkiye faces a short- to mid-term capability gap. At the same time, its geopolitical environment, ranging from the Aegean to Syria, demands rapid-response assets with multirole flexibility and strong deterrence value. The Typhoon, while not stealthy, offers NATO-standard integration, long-range engagement capability, and technological parity with peer air forces. Crucially, its adoption will introduce AESA radar systems to the Turkish Air Force for the first time, marking a leap in surveillance, targeting, and electronic warfare capability.
From Berlin’s perspective, the approval has both political and industrial dimensions. The previous SPD-Green-FDP coalition had opposed the deal due to human rights concerns and Türkiye’s regional operations. But the new CDU-led black-red coalition is taking a more pragmatic approach to arms exports, as confirmed by Handelsblatt. For Chancellor Merz, closer defense ties with Türkiye signal a strategic effort to anchor NATO’s southeastern flank while reinforcing European autonomy in defense. The deal also holds vital significance for the Eurofighter program itself: although Germany, Italy, and Spain have committed to ordering small numbers of additional jets, these volumes are insufficient to sustain production and upgrade cycles alone. Exports like the one to Türkiye are therefore indispensable to maintaining Europe’s independent fighter jet development capability.
Financially, the deal is expected to be worth several hundred million euros, though final contract details remain pending. The Eurofighter consortium typically delivers aircraft over a four- to six-year window, depending on configuration and support requirements. For Türkiye, this acquisition complements its recent $20 billion deal with the United States for 40 F-16 Block 70s and modernization kits, creating a diversified modernization track while hedging against political uncertainty in transatlantic procurement. The last major Eurofighter export deal, with Qatar in 2017 for 24 aircraft, was valued at over £5 billion and included comprehensive logistics and training support—suggesting a similarly large and strategic framework may emerge for Türkiye.
Germany’s green light for the Eurofighter Typhoon sale to Türkiye marks a profound realignment in European defense policy and regional power dynamics. By reversing its long-standing veto, Berlin not only strengthens NATO’s southeastern flank but also redefines its export control posture in line with geopolitical imperatives. For Türkiye, the acquisition provides a vital capability bridge, reinforcing its air superiority posture while awaiting future fifth-generation systems. In an increasingly volatile regional environment, this decision restores momentum to a key defense partnership and anchors both nations more firmly within NATO’s evolving military and industrial architecture.
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On June 26, 2025, Germany approved the long-blocked export of Eurofighter Typhoon jets to Türkiye, breaking years of political deadlock. The decision, which had already been publicly confirmed by Turkish Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler in November 2024 during an interview on TV100, was further reported by Handelsblatt, marking a decisive shift in Berlin’s arms export policy and Ankara’s push to modernize its air force. The approval comes after the formation of a new German government under Chancellor Friedrich Merz, which has adopted a more permissive stance on defense exports than the previous traffic light coalition. After years of objections, Germany’s policy reversal unlocks a major deal that Türkiye views as essential to closing a critical capability gap. Coordinated among all Eurofighter consortium members, Germany, the UK, Italy, and Spain, the decision revives long-frozen defense cooperation between two key NATO allies.
Germany’s green light for the Eurofighter Typhoon sale to Türkiye marks a profound realignment in European defense policy and regional power dynamics (Picture source: Airbus)
The Eurofighter Typhoon, a multirole combat aircraft designed for air dominance and precision strike missions, is at the heart of Türkiye’s interim airpower strategy. With a top speed of Mach 2.0, delta-canard aerodynamics, and advanced ECRS AESA radar, the Typhoon delivers superior maneuverability and sensor fusion in contested environments. Armed with Meteor and AMRAAM missiles, precision-guided munitions, and equipped with advanced electronic warfare capabilities, it represents a proven and mature fourth-generation-plus fighter. The aircraft is well suited to Türkiye’s operational priorities, filling the gap between its aging F-16 fleet and the delayed rollout of the indigenous KAAN stealth fighter and F-16 Block 70s from the United States.
The Typhoon’s development began in the 1980s as a multilateral European project to preserve defense-industrial sovereignty. Although France exited the program early to pursue the Rafale, Germany, the UK, Italy, and Spain continued the initiative, leading to the Eurofighter consortium. Since entering service in the early 2000s, more than 600 Typhoons have been delivered to several countries, with ongoing upgrades ensuring combat relevance through new radar, software, and weapons packages. Türkiye now becomes the latest nation to adopt the platform, with a planned acquisition of 40 aircraft, 20 confirmed and 20 optional—following a formal offer made by the UK in March 2025.
Yaşar Güler, Türkiye’s Minister of National Defense and former Chief of the General Staff, had already confirmed in November 2024 that Germany was preparing to drop its long-standing objections. Speaking on TV100, Güler stated: “We will buy 40 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets. Germany has been resisting for a very long time, but finally, with the positive contributions of our NATO friends Italy, the UK and Spain, Germany has responded positively.” His remarks confirmed a turning point after months of diplomatic efforts by Ankara and lobbying from fellow consortium members. That German approval has now materialized in late June 2025, following a bilateral meeting between Chancellor Merz and President Erdoğan at the NATO summit in The Hague.
Türkiye’s strategic requirement for the Eurofighter stems from both structural vulnerabilities and regional security imperatives. With its fleet of F-4 Phantoms fully retired and parts of its F-16 inventory nearing obsolescence, Türkiye faces a short- to mid-term capability gap. At the same time, its geopolitical environment, ranging from the Aegean to Syria, demands rapid-response assets with multirole flexibility and strong deterrence value. The Typhoon, while not stealthy, offers NATO-standard integration, long-range engagement capability, and technological parity with peer air forces. Crucially, its adoption will introduce AESA radar systems to the Turkish Air Force for the first time, marking a leap in surveillance, targeting, and electronic warfare capability.
From Berlin’s perspective, the approval has both political and industrial dimensions. The previous SPD-Green-FDP coalition had opposed the deal due to human rights concerns and Türkiye’s regional operations. But the new CDU-led black-red coalition is taking a more pragmatic approach to arms exports, as confirmed by Handelsblatt. For Chancellor Merz, closer defense ties with Türkiye signal a strategic effort to anchor NATO’s southeastern flank while reinforcing European autonomy in defense. The deal also holds vital significance for the Eurofighter program itself: although Germany, Italy, and Spain have committed to ordering small numbers of additional jets, these volumes are insufficient to sustain production and upgrade cycles alone. Exports like the one to Türkiye are therefore indispensable to maintaining Europe’s independent fighter jet development capability.
Financially, the deal is expected to be worth several hundred million euros, though final contract details remain pending. The Eurofighter consortium typically delivers aircraft over a four- to six-year window, depending on configuration and support requirements. For Türkiye, this acquisition complements its recent $20 billion deal with the United States for 40 F-16 Block 70s and modernization kits, creating a diversified modernization track while hedging against political uncertainty in transatlantic procurement. The last major Eurofighter export deal, with Qatar in 2017 for 24 aircraft, was valued at over £5 billion and included comprehensive logistics and training support—suggesting a similarly large and strategic framework may emerge for Türkiye.
Germany’s green light for the Eurofighter Typhoon sale to Türkiye marks a profound realignment in European defense policy and regional power dynamics. By reversing its long-standing veto, Berlin not only strengthens NATO’s southeastern flank but also redefines its export control posture in line with geopolitical imperatives. For Türkiye, the acquisition provides a vital capability bridge, reinforcing its air superiority posture while awaiting future fifth-generation systems. In an increasingly volatile regional environment, this decision restores momentum to a key defense partnership and anchors both nations more firmly within NATO’s evolving military and industrial architecture.
