British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday signed an agreement under which Turkey will purchase 20 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets from the country for $10.7 billion. This is stated on the website of the UK government, reports UNN.
Details
"The UK and Turkey have signed a deal worth up to £8 billion for 20 British Typhoon fighter jets – the largest fighter jet export deal in a generation. The multi-billion pound deal was signed today during the Prime Minister's first visit to Ankara to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan," the statement said.
The British government stated that the agreement will help preserve 20,000 jobs across the UK, with production lines in Edinburgh, Warton, Salmesbury, and Bristol.
The first delivery of aircraft to Turkey is expected in 2030.
Reuters reports that in July, Turkey and the UK signed a preliminary agreement to purchase 40 Typhoon fighter jets, approved by members of the Eurofighter consortium, including Germany, Italy, and Spain.
"This comes as Turkey seeks to use advanced military aircraft to catch up with regional rivals such as Israel, which has launched strikes across the Middle East this year. Turkey, which has its warmest ties with the West in recent years, has sought to acquire Eurofighter jets, and possibly US F-35s, to bolster its aging fleet of aircraft, which consists mainly of F-16s," the publication notes.
Recall
Germany approved a preliminary request for the supply of 40 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets to Turkey. The aircraft, a joint project of BAE Systems, Airbus, and Leonardo, will be built in the UK with German components.