Türkiye reportedly set to acquire second-hand Eurofighter jets from Gulf country

Türkiye is moving forward with plans to acquire Eurofighter jets from one of the Gulf countries as per recent developments, according to Turkish journalist Tolga Ozbek’s report.

This comes as Ankara’s negotiations for the purchase of 40 F-16 fighter jets and the modernization of 79 existing jets from the United States have been delayed.

The Eurofighter acquisition is seen as a critical step to fill the gap until Türkiye’s domestically produced MMU Kaan is ready.

Germany lifts key barrier to Eurofighter sale to Türkiye

The biggest obstacle to the Eurofighter sale was Germany’s veto, which has now been lifted. Germany had previously blocked the sale because of a European Union decision following Türkiye’s 2019 military operations in Syria.

With this barrier removed, the first phase of the plan involves Türkiye purchasing firstly second-hand Eurofighter jets from a Gulf country, with an initial focus on acquiring 12 to 20 second-hand aircraft then 20 from the Eurofighter consortium to make it a total of 40 jets.

Türkiye’s focus on domestic defense systems

Türkiye aims to integrate its domestically developed defense systems into the Eurofighter jets according to the report.

Turkish defense companies like Aselsan, Roketsan and Havelsan have been engaged in talks with Eurofighter teams to ensure compatibility with Turkish-made systems, including radar, electronics and munitions.

Impact on 5th generation Kaan fighter jet project

There are questions regarding the potential impact of the Eurofighter deal on Türkiye’s MMU Kaan project, a domestically developed fighter jet.

However, according to Ozbek’s reports, officials have stated that the Kaan project is progressing on schedule, with two prototypes expected to take flight in 2025.

The first production models are anticipated by 2025 or 2026.

F-16 deal postponed until after US elections

Negotiations for the F-16 deal, valued at $24 billion, have been postponed until after the US elections in November. While the U.S. Congress approved the deal in early 2024, a final agreement has yet to be signed.

Türkiye’s broader defense plans

In addition to the Eurofighter and F-16 deals, Türkiye is reportedly eyeing the possibility of rejoining the F-35 program, particularly after the recent sale of F-35 jets to Greece.

Turkish Naval Forces are also monitoring the situation, with hopes of acquiring F-35B jets for deployment on the TCG Anadolu, Türkiye’s flagship landing platform dock.