Turkey is moving quickly to adopt the fighter jet to close a capability gap with Greece.

NATO member Turkey (Türkiye) is closer to formally adopting the Eurofighter Typhoon, and Turkish aviators have begun flight training on the multirole combat aircraft.

“Within the scope of the Eurofighter Typhoon procurement signed with the United Kingdom Government, our Air Force Command pilots who began the training process in August have completed their terminology training and commenced flight training,” Turkish Defense Minister T.C. Millî Savunma Bakanlığı wrote in a post on X.

The Royal Air Force (RAF) is now providing flight instruction to the first three of 10 flight instructors, and plans call for approximately 100 maintenance instructors to begin training on the aircraft in the coming weeks.

Turkey Initially Wanted a Different Fighter Jet

For decades, Turkey relied heavily on American-made platforms, notably the F-16 Fighting Falcon.

While Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom developed the Eurofighter Typhoon at the end of the Cold War, Turkey became a core partner in the US-led development of the F-35 Lightning II. Turkey expected to be fielding a fifth-generation fighter by now, so it saw no urgent need to invest in what was seen as a costly 4.5-generation European fighter. Turkey was expelled from the F-35 program in 2019 for its adoption of the Russian made S-400 Triumf air defense system.

After Washington further showed reluctance to sell upgrades for the F-16s, and Turkey faced delays with its domestically built TAI Kaan fifth-gen aircraft, it sought the Typhoon as a stopgap.

Turkey’s interest in the Typhoon was also largely driven by its regional rival Greece adopting the French-made Dassault Rafale and securing a deal to obtain the F-35. Turkish defense officials have openly acknowledged that the Eurofighter bid was a direct move to close the capability gap and prevent Greece from maintaining air superiority over the Aegean, even as both nations are NATO members.

Hurdles to Clear for Turkey to Buy the Eurofighter Typhoon

The four nations that built the Eurofighter Typhoon each had veto power over export sales. German officials raised concerns over Turkey’s cross-border military operations in Syria, its domestic political crackdowns, and tensions regarding energy drilling in the Eastern Mediterranean. In July 2025, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz reversed the previous government’s opposition, which opened the way for Turkey to obtain the aircraft.

Ankara subsequently closed a deal with the UK in the fall of last year to acquire 20 Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 4 models, with the first half-dozen of the newly manufactured aircraft on track for delivery in 2030. An additional eight will follow a year later, and the final six will be delivered in 2032.

To increase its aviation capabilities as it waits for the new aircraft, Turkey had previously sought to purchase as many as 24 secondhand Typhoons, including 12 from Qatar and another dozen from Oman. However, the deal with Oman lost momentum last year, and Ankara shifted its focus towards Qatar.

That deal seemed on track until Doha paused that transfer in the spring of 2026, amid regional defense concerns after the United States and Israel began their aerial campaign against Iran.

For now at least, Turkey may simply have to wait for the new Eurofighters to be built in the UK.

The Eurofighter Typhoon’s Specifications

• Year Introduced: 2003
• Number Built: 609 (+ 7 prototypes)
• Length: 52 ft 4 in (15.96 m)
• Wingspan: 35 ft 11 in (10.95 m)
• Maximum Take-off Weight: 35,274 lb (23,500 kg)
• Engines: Two Eurojet EJ200 afterburning turbofan engines, 13,500 lbf (60kN) thrust each, dry
• Top Speed: Mach 2.5 (1,500 mph, 2,495 km/h)
• Combat Radius: 863 mi (1,389 km)
• Service Ceiling: 55,000 ft (16,764 m)
• Loadout: One 27mm Mauser BK-27 revolver cannon; 13 hardpoints (8 under wing, 5 under-fuselage pylon stations); 19,800 lb (9,000 kg) total payload capacity
• Aircrew: 1-2, depending on variant

About the Eurofighter Typhoon

Originally developed to rival Soviet aircraft at the end of the Cold War, the Eurofighter Typhoon is a product of European collaboration between Germany, Italy, the UK, and later Spain. The aircraft’s unique design leverages advanced features, including canard foreplanes, carbon-fiber composites, and a digital fly-by-wire system, ensuring enhanced maneuverability and stealth.

Since it first entered service in 2003, the Eurofighter Typhoon has been adopted by several NATO members, notably its developmental partners of Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK. In addition, it is now in service with the air forces of Austria, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.

About the Author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu has contributed to dozens of newspapers, magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

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