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(Bloomberg) — Germany approved the sale of Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft to Turkey, according to a person familiar with the decision, removing the main obstacle in a defense deal long held up by political tensions between the NATO allies.
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The German Security Council signed off on a preliminary request for 40 fighter jets, said the person, who asked not to be identified discussing confidential information. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the British government and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis have been informed of the decision, the person said.
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Turkey gave assurances during the review process that it will only deploy the aircraft within the framework of NATO solidarity, meaning not against another member of the alliance, the person said. Plans to authorize the sale were discussed with Mitsotakis before being granted, the person added.
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The approval is an indication of growing defense cooperation between Turkey and western allies as Europe tries to boost its defense industry after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, while reducing reliance on the US. In addition to the Eurofighter deal, Ankara is also seeking US approval to buy new F-16 fighter jets – of which it’s the second-biggest operator – and F-35s.
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Berlin had previously blocked the request, first made in March 2023, due to tensions between Turkey and its neighbor Greece over competing energy exploration in the Mediterranean Sea. A sign of progress came in March when Ankara received an initial price offer. The financial terms of that offer aren’t yet clear.
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Eurofighter is a joint project between the UK’s BAE Systems Plc, Airbus SE and Italy’s Leonardo SpA. The aircraft will be built in the UK with parts supplied from Germany.
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A German government spokesman declined to comment, saying Security Council meetings are confidential. Turkey’s Defense Ministry didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The approval of the sale was first reported by Der Spiegel magazine.
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