Türkiye Moves Forward with Eurofighter Purchase

On July 23rd, significant steps were taken in the modernization of the Turkish army’s aviation fleet. National Defense Minister Yaşar Güler and his English counterpart John Healey have settled on signing a memorandum for Türkiye’s 40 Eurofighter plane purchase. On the same day, the German newspaper “Der Spiegel” reported the German government’s consent to this transaction. The official statement regarding the purchase described it as “A step that will enhance Türkiye’s combat capabilities,” and emphasized the new era commencing in Türkiye-UK defense cooperation. Especially after Türkiye’s dismissal from the F-35 program, this step has been considered a “milestone” in rebuilding Türkiye’s short-falling fleet, according to the BBC report.

Türkiye started modernizing its defense aviation fleet through the F-35 flight program by initiating the negotiations in 1999 and signing the agreement in 2002. This meant that Türkiye would actively be involved in the program by domestically producing key components such as fuselage structures, landing gear parts, engine elements, and electronic systems for the F-35 aircraft. It also served as evidence of Türkiye's effort to integrate itself into the West’s defense system. Despite furthering cooperation with program partners, Türkiye’s relations with the US have deteriorated over the developments in the country.

Ankara lost trust in the Trump administration after it refused to extradite Fetullah Gülen, the chief of the July 15 coup attempt, and the defense system negotiations stopped. This lack of trust made Türkiye seek defense collaboration in the rest of the world after the Trump administration’s refusal to sell the Patriot systems. As a result, Türkiye signed a purchase agreement for the S-400 air defense system from Russia in 2017.

Acquiring the S-400 was about politics, as well as technology. The Turkish government began to question NATO’s sincerity about strengthening the Turkish military and decided to take care of national defense itself, despite the threat of sanctions from the West. At the same time, rising nationalism in Türkiye led the Erdoğan government to shift its foreign policy focus toward security after adopting the Presidential System.

However, the US interpreted this action as threatening the security of the F-35. Tensions increased among the members of NATO, and in the year 2019, Washington officially expelled Türkiye from the program.

After being excluded from the F-35 program, in 2021, Türkiye officially sought the purchase of 40 new F-16 Block 70 fighter jets from the United States, as well as upgrades for the 79 F-16 jets in the stockpile, in exchange for the air power shortage to increase the operational capability of the Turkish Air Force.

These purchases were to fill the gap that would arise before the production of the domestically produced fifth-generation fighter jet KAAN began, as well as to have critical air defense responsibilities. Washington did not sanction this sale for a long time, but in 2024, after Türkiye ratified Sweden’s NATO membership, the sale of the F-16s was approved by the US Congress.

Following the purchase decision, the modernization process was also halted. The Engineering and production duties of modernizing 79 F-16s were transferred to Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ), the premier defense industry entity in Türkiye. This was not only aimed at reducing reliance on foreign suppliers but also at incorporating technologies from the KAAN project into the F-16 modernization process. With the US-manufactured AESA radar, new-generation cockpit systems, and state-of-the-art avionics, these aircraft, when in service, will form the linchpin of the strategy pursued by Türkiye for the maintenance of air superiority, particularly in the Aegean Sea as well as the Eastern Mediterranean region.

TF-X, or KAAN, is Türkiye's new fighter aircraft. Development of the aircraft began in the early 2010s but accelerated when Turkey was expelled from the F-35 program in 2019. In 2023, the prototype emerged from the hangar, and it completed the first successful test flight on 21 February 2024. When GZT spoke to TUSAŞ's General Manager, Prof. Dr. Temel Kotil, in 2024, he explained that he believed KAAN would be superior to the F-35.

According to GZT’s inquiry about KAAN, his response was, “KAAN is a fifth-generation aircraft, but it has the capabilities of the sixth generation.” When GZT asked, “What is the advantage of KAAN, in your opinion?” his response was, “The F-35 is invisible, but KAAN is strong as well as invisible.” KAAN is currently in the phase of further development, which is due to end in 2030.

In this period, Türkiye has sought many alternative options to complement its current air force capabilities. In the meantime, negotiations for the purchase of the F-16 Block 70s were ongoing, with the Eurofighter Typhoon planes being an option. Some European countries, mainly Germany, have been reluctant to finalize the sale of these planes. The United Kingdom and Spain, however, continue to support Türkiye's efforts.

According to DW Türkçe, on July 2, 2024, British Defense Minister Grant Shapps stated that "very constructive talks" are ongoing with Türkiye regarding the possible sale of the Eurofighters and suggested that procurement of these aircraft would "contribute to European air security."

The June 20th report by Anadolu Agency remarked that the Israeli press is following Türkiye's Eurofighter purchase process with “concern.” The report further contains the view that “these aircraft could further strengthen the Turkish Air Force in a way that would be detrimental to us.”

The European negotiations are continuing despite diplomatic problems. Still, Defense Industry President Haluk Görgün expressed Türkiye's view on the matter by saying that “the talks are progressing positively, and our expectations are high.” Compared to the long-term KAAN project, the purchase of Eurofighters stands out as a much more important diplomatic step to fulfill Türkiye's air power needs in the short term.

Written by İbrahim Aslan Ekmekçi

Edited by Leyla Hacıoğlu