Germany's Merz speaks positively about potential Eurofighter sale to Türkiye

By Anadolu staff

BERLIN (AA) - German Chancellor Friedrich Merz signaled Thursday that progress is being made toward a potential sale of Eurofighter jets to NATO ally Türkiye.

Speaking at a joint news conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London, Merz emphasized that the UK-Germany "friendship treaty" signed on Thursday will strengthen defense ties and enhance cooperation in the defense industry.

When asked if the treaty would facilitate the export of jointly produced defense products like Eurofighter jets and whether Berlin would approve the potential sale to Türkiye, Merz indicated progress.

“We also discussed the issue of export licenses. There hasn't been a final decision yet, but we're on the way to a good decision that could also make a corresponding export license possible,” Merz told reporters. “As to which specific countries this will apply to, you'll have to forgive me, but I cannot say that at this moment,” he added.

Türkiye, which maintains NATO's second-largest military force, plans to acquire 40 Eurofighter jets—aircraft jointly manufactured by the UK, Germany, Italy, and Spain.

As a manufacturing partner, Germany must give final approval for the sale. The previous German coalition government expressed reservations about the sale, primarily due to opposition from their coalition partner, the Greens.