Germany has begun the sale process of Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets to Turkey after initial opposition.
A “sales authority” has been mandated to work on the potential sale of 40 jets, which is expected to accelerate the process, Reuters reported, citing a Turkish defense ministry source.
“Technical work is continuing regarding the procurement of the Eurofighter Typhoon jet, which can be an alternative to meet the operational needs of our Air Force,” the outlet quoted the source as saying.
Germany’s Turnabout
Before that, Turkish Minister of National Defense Yasar Guler announced that Berlin had lifted its opposition to the sale thanks to efforts by the UK, Spain, and Italy.
The three are members of the Eurofighter consortium that builds the aircraft, along with Germany.
Berlin’s reluctance regarding the sale was over a range of Turkish policies, including Ankara’s condemnation of Israel, attacks against Syrian Kurds, and the procurement of Russian S-400 air defense systems.
Turkey’s Quest for Western Jets
Ankara initially began pursuing the European aircraft last year as a hedge against a potential failure in the F-16 sale from the US.
The F-16, in turn, was pursued by Turkey after being expelled by the US from the F-35 program over the procurement of the Russian S-400.
Earlier this year, Turkey secured the F-16 sale along with the purchase of 79 modernization kits for Turkish Air Force F-16s.
The Western aircraft is considered to be an interim solution for the Turkish military requirements until the in-development fifth-generation TAI Kaan is ready for operations.
