By Cristina Gallardo

The U.K. and Turkey signed a memorandum of understanding to allow Ankara to become a customer of Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets, paving the way for a multibillion-dollar order of up to 40 aircraft.

Senior defense officials from both governments signed the deal in Istanbul on Wednesday, confirming a Dow Jones Newswires report published Monday.

The Eurofighter is made by a consortium of three of Europe's largest defense companies: BAE Systems, Airbus and Leonardo.

Negotiations for a potential contract with Turkey will continue over the coming weeks, with the U.K. expected to manufacture 37% of each aircraft sold, the U.K. defense ministry said.

British Defense Secretary John Healey said the deal is a big step toward Turkey buying Typhoon fighter jets, a move that would strengthen the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's collective defense and the industrial bases of both countries.

The fighter jet market is one of the most competitive in international defense, given the amount of money spent and prestige associated with being able to produce and sell these high-tech products.

After a flurry of orders in the 2000s, the Eurofighter has more recently been overshadowed by Lockheed Martin's F-35, which has so-called stealth technology. That has seen its makers trying to win domestic orders and those from countries that can't buy the F-35.

Turkey, a member of the NATO, has sought to purchase Eurofighter jets since 2023, but the talks stumbled because of Germany's reluctance to approve an export license due to concerns over some elements of Ankara's foreign policy. Germany is one of four countries involved in the Eurofighter consortium--alongside Italy, Spain and the U.K.--and exporting Typhoon jets to Turkey requires its approval.

The new German government has signaled it is willing to go ahead with the deal, two people familiar with the talks said.

Charles Woodburn, chief executive of BAE Systems, said the memorandum of understanding underscores the critical role Typhoon jets play in security and defense in Europe and the Middle East.

Write to Cristina Gallardo at cristina.gallardo@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 23, 2025 04:41 ET (08:41 GMT)

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