Hope for Turkey's Eurofighter Typhoon Buy as Germany Approves €336M Weapons Package

Germany has greenlighted a €336 million weapons package to Turkey in recent days after withholding arms sale requests from Ankara for the last couple of years.

The weapons sales has rekindled hopes of Turkey seeking to buy some 40 units of the Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet which has already been okayed by three of four Eurofighter partners such as U.K., Spain and Italy.

According to German news outlet Spiegel, the German Federal Security Council recently authorized the sale during a secret meeting. The package includes 100 RAM Air Defence Missiles produced by MBDA, valued at €100 million, and 28 DM2A4 SeaHake torpedoes from Thyssenkrupp’s maritime division, worth €156 million. Additional deals include material packages for modernizing Turkish Type 209 submarines, budgeted at €79 million, and engine parts for Turkish corvettes and frigates valued at €1.9 million.

This decision marks a notable shift in Germany's arms export policy, as Berlin had significantly reduced its defense exports to Turkey in recent years and restricted several defense industry products. Turkey, a NATO member, has also been seeking alternatives to fill its defense needs, developing domestic equivalents to the DM2A4 torpedoes and RAM missiles.

Germany's reluctance to sell advanced jets to Turkey stems from concerns over its natural gas drilling in the eastern Mediterranean, as reported by local media. This hesitancy dates back to 2019, when the EU Council imposed sanctions on Turkey over its exploration activities during a crisis with Greece, highlighting the EU's support for Cyprus.

Germany's decision may also influence the ongoing discussions on Turkey’s potential purchase of Eurofighter Typhoon jets. While the United Kingdom, Italy, and Spain have already approved the sale, Germany's approval has so far been the primary barrier to finalizing the deal.