Germany says possible Eurofighters for Turkiye

ISTANBUL: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Saturday, October 14, 2024, that a project to possibly supply Turkiye with Eurofighter jets was an effort being driven by Britain and was in the early stages. "It is something that will continue to develop, but is now being driven forward from there (Britain)," he said when asked about potential movement on the issue at a press conference in Istanbul with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. Ankara said last year it was in talks with Britain and Spain to buy Eurofighter Typhoons, though Germany objected to the idea. Since then, it has complained of a lack of progress on the issue, and Erdogan alluded to Berlin's reluctance until now. "We wish to leave behind some of the difficulties experienced in the past in the supply of defence industry products and develop our cooperation," Erdogan told reporters. A Turkish defence ministry official said Turkiye had been conducting technical work aimed at accelerating its planned purchase of the jets. — Reuters