Türkiye expects Germany to move forward with its long-discussed sale of 40 Eurofighter jets, sources said Thursday.
Ankara is expecting "positive signals from Germany" on the subject, said the sources, adding "technical talks" are still under way. The German Ministry for Economic Affairs declined to comment when asked by dpa.
Türkiye hopes to boost its defense capabilities with 40 Eurofighter Typhoons. Germany is involved in the production of the Eurofighters, and Berlin's approval is required for an export deal.
Türkiye has been pushing for German approval for the purchase since last year. Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler said at the time that Ankara already had the approval of the U.K. and Spain, the remaining contractors.
German news magazine Der Spiegel over the weekend reported that the German government may be preparing for a change of course in arms exports to Türkiye.
According to the Der Spiegel report, Berlin has approved arms exports worth several hundred million euros to NATO partner Türkiye – including 100 anti-aircraft missiles and torpedoes for the Turkish navy and material packages for the modernization of Turkish submarines and frigates.
The German Ministry for Economic Affairs did not want to confirm the report when asked.
Until the failed military coup in Türkiye in 2016, Germany approved arms exports to the country on a large scale.
German arms exports to Türkiye significantly reduced to a single-digit million range following the attempted coup and Türkiye's counterterrorism operations against the terrorist PKK’s Syrian offshoot in northern Syria.
For the whole of 2023, there were around 17 Turkish arms import applications worth a total of €1.22 million ($1.34 million), according to the German government.
Türkiye’s interest in Eurofighters came after a prolonged process over its request to buy F-16 warplanes from the U.S. The deal was approved earlier this year after Türkiye endorsed Sweden's bid to join NATO.
Giancarlo Mezzanatto, CEO of Eurofighter, has confirmed Türkiye's interest in acquiring the fighter jets but revealed that Germany had obstructed the sale.
The warplanes are built by a German, British, Italian and Spanish consortium, represented by Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo.
Türkiye seeks to replace the aging F-16 fleet in the Air Forces Command's inventory, which will be phased out starting in the 2030s.
Erdoğan's chief adviser Akif Çağatay Kılıç acknowledged some progress on the deal in a recent meeting with Turkish journalists, though details were not disclosed, the Middle East Eye said.
Meanwhile, Turkish and German officials are working to arrange a visit by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz this month, it noted.
Germany’s concerns over Türkiye’s use of German-made weapons, such as Leopard tanks, in its military operations against terrorist organizations in Syria, have long strained relations, though recent developments suggest a possible shift.