Germany’s Federal Security Council has reportedly approved a preliminary request from Ankara for 40 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets, according to information obtained by Der Spiegel.
The jets, a joint project between the UK’s BAE Systems, Airbus, and Italy’s Leonardo, would be assembled in Britain using components supplied from Germany.
Türkiye submitted its request for the aircraft in March 2023.
Türkiye’s defense minister also announced, “The Defence Ministers have today jointly signed a Memorandum of Understanding. This document codifies the relationship between the countries, taking them one step closer to a full agreement on Typhoon.”
NEW: Turkish Defence Minister:
The Defence Ministers have today jointly signed a Memorandum of Understanding. This document codifies the relationship between the countries, taking them one step closer to a full agreement on Typhoon.
— Clash Report (@clashreport) July 23, 2025
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said early that Germany and Britain have taken a positive stance on the sale and expressed Ankara’s desire to finalize the purchase as soon as possible.
The Eurofighter Typhoon program is a collaboration between Germany, the UK, Italy, and Spain, with production split among the participating nations’ defense contractors.
In Israel, the news has sparked criticism from opposition leader Yair Lapid, who warned that Türkiye’s acquisition of the advanced jets could pose a threat to Israel’s security. Lapid argued that Türkiye already maintains the most powerful navy in the Middle East and is now seeking to match Israel’s air power.
“If Israel had a functional diplomacy or a fully operational government, Germany and the UK would have blocked this new agreement to sell Eurofighter Typhoons to Türkiye long ago,” Lapid said in a social media post. He accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration of failing to act on the matter.
“The purchase of these jets by Türkiye is dangerous for Israel,” Lapid wrote. “Turkey possesses the largest and most powerful navy in the Middle East and is now trying to achieve parity with Israel in the skies. This is a dangerous situation, and our dysfunctional government has allowed the deal to progress and done nothing to prevent it.”