(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — Turkey has issued a strong rebuke to Germany following its refusal to grant permission for the purchase of Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets, despite both countries being members of the NATO military alliance.
Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler criticized the treatment Ankara received from Berlin, highlighting the contradiction of being NATO allies.
“We are a NATO member, but another NATO member has obstructed our efforts to acquire these fighter jets (Typhoon). There should be no reason for an ally to say, ‘I will not sell these planes to you,'” he stated in an interview with the private television station NTV.
Germany has refused to approve the sale of Typhoon fighter jets to Turkey due to its displeasure with Turkey’s strong criticisms of Israel’s military actions in the Gaza Strip.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, angered by Turkey’s harsh criticisms of Israel, responded by blocking Ankara’s desire to purchase 40 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets.
“The Chancellor is expected not to approve the sale of Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets,” according to a senior German official.
The Eurofighter Typhoon is developed by a consortium of four European countries: Britain, Germany, Spain, and Italy. Any sale of these fighter jets requires the approval of all four nations.
Last month, Turkey announced it had initiated discussions to acquire 40 of the latest variant of Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets known as “Tranche 4.” However, Germany’s obstruction is likely to impede Turkey’s aspirations to possess these aircraft.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan explicitly conveyed to Germany that Turkey has “other options” if Germany rejects the proposal to acquire 40 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets.
Erdogan emphasized that Germany is not the only country in the world producing fighter jets, and Turkey has alternative options if its request for Typhoon fighter jets is denied.
Ankara sought to purchase Eurofighter Typhoon jets after facing various obstacles in its attempt to acquire the latest variant of F-16 Block 70 fighter jets from the United States Congress.
Equipped with the AESA radar “CAPTOR E,” Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 4 is considered an advanced European fighter jet capable of serving until 2060. Germany is said to have ordered 38 Typhoon Tranche 4 fighter jets.
In 2021, Turkey submitted a request to the United States to purchase 40 F-16 Block 70 fighter jets and F-16 aircraft modernization kits estimated at US$20 billion (RM80 billion).
While President Joe Biden supported Turkey’s request, some members of the U.S. Congress opposed Ankara’s proposal, citing Turkey’s human rights record and its reluctance to support Sweden’s NATO membership application.
“The Turkish Air Force needs new fighter jets. Our first choice is the F-16, but given the possibility of not receiving a positive response, the Eurofighter Typhoon is the best alternative to the F-16,” according to a source cited by the international news agency Reuters.
Turkey also aims to acquire Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets to replace its aging F-4 Phantom fighter aircraft, which must be replaced urgently.
To address the need for modern fighter jets, Turkey has initiated the development of its fifth-generation fighter aircraft called “KAAN,” expected to be operational by 2028-2029. — DSA
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