In a significant development, Türkiye has taken another step in its pursuit to acquire Eurofighter Typhoons with an agreement with Britain that allows Ankara to become a user of the advanced fighter jet. 

Türkiye and Britain announced on Wednesday that they have signed a memorandum of understanding in this regard on the sidelines of the International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF 2025) in Istanbul. 

The memorandum was signed following a high-level meeting between Turkish National Defence Minister Yasar Guler and his UK counterpart, John Healey, marking an important step toward a broader defence partnership.

The agreement outlines Türkiye’s path toward a comprehensive accord with Britain on Eurofighter integration, the Turkish defence ministry said in a statement. 

The signing of MoU comes a day after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and discussed the progress on the deal.

Türkiye has been in talks to purchase 40 Eurofighter jets, which are built by a consortium of Germany, Britain, Italy and Spain. 

Ankara first submitted its request to buy the jets in March 2023. 

Eurofighter Typhoon, which will be built in Britain using components supplied by Germany, is a multirole fighter considered one of the most advanced 4.5-generation jets in the world. 

With this agreement, Türkiye moves one step closer to diversifying its air force capabilities while reinforcing its defence ties with key NATO allies.

Türkiye commands the second-largest military in NATO, and several European leaders have underlined Ankara’s defence capabilities in recent months.