The United Kingdom and Turkey have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) Wednesday to advance a potential sale of 40 Eurofighter Typhoon jets.
The agreement was signed at the International Defense Industry Fair in Istanbul by Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler and U.K. Defence Secretary John Healey.
✈️UK- Türkiye Defence Partnership ✈️
The UK 🇬🇧and Türkiye 🇹🇷 have today signed an agreement on a future Typhoon jet exports deal pic.twitter.com/StGEj73C9J
— UK Joint Delegation to NATO (@UKNATO) July 23, 2025
While not a binding contract, the MOU outlines both countries’ intent to finalize the deal.
“Today’s agreement is a big step towards Turkey buying U.K. Typhoon fighter jets,” Healey said in a statement. “It would strengthen NATO’s collective defense and secure thousands of jobs across the U.K.”
Turkey has been seeking to acquire Eurofighter Typhoons since 2023, though progress was initially delayed by Germany’s reluctance to approve export licenses. Germany is one of the four nations behind the Eurofighter consortium, alongside the U.K., Italy, and Spain.
The Eurofighter Typhoon is currently operated by nine air forces. The U.K. leads with 159 aircraft, followed by Germany, Italy, and Spain. Outside Europe, Saudi Arabia has a fleet of 71.
A final deal with Turkey would mark the first major export order for the U.K. since 2017.
The purchase aims to replace Turkey’s aging F-16 fleet, which currently forms the backbone of its air force. Turkey initially sought to modernize its fleet with U.S.-made F-35 jets but was removed from the program in 2019 after acquiring Russian S-400 air defense systems.
Although financial terms were not disclosed, a similar 2022 order by Spain for 20 jets valued at €2.04 billion suggests that Turkey’s request for 40 aircraft could exceed €4 billion ($4.4 billion).
Typhoon manufacturers BAE Systems and Eurofighter welcomed the MOU and said they would continue working with both governments to finalize the deal.
