Germany has now instructed its sales authority to begin negotiations with Turkey for the purchase of Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets despite the country’s initial opposition to the sale, according to an official from Turkey’s defense ministry.
Ankara announced last year that it was in discussions with the Eurofighter consortium members, Britain and Spain, about buying 40 Typhoons, but Germany opposed the proposal. It has since expressed dissatisfaction with Berlin’s unwillingness to progress on the matter.
The source said that Germany has instructed its “Temporary Sales Authority” to look into selling the jets to Turkey, and Ankara hopes this will hasten the procurement process.
Defense Minister Yasar Guler of Turkey stated on Tuesday that Germany had finally given in after “resisting for a long time” due to pressure from the UK, Italy, and Spain, and that he did not think the recent government collapse in Germany would affect the ongoing process.
The Eurofighter Typhoon jets are manufactured by a consortium of companies comprised of Airbus (AIR.PA), BAE Systems (BAES.L), and Leonardo (LDOF.MI) from Germany, Britain, Italy, and Spain.
