ANKARA, OCT 28 (QNA/APP/DNA):President of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (UK) Keir Starmer signed a cooperation agreement concerning Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets, in a move that strengthens bilateral military partnership and enhances the capabilities of the Turkish Air Force.
Signed at the Presidential Complex in Ankara on Monday, following a closed meeting between Erdogan and Starmer, the agreement aims to enhance defense and military cooperation and expand industrial partnerships in the aerospace sector.
At a joint press conference, President Erdogan said that this cooperation opens the door for joint defense projects.
The Turkish President deemed the agreement a new milestone in Turkish-UK strategic relations as close allies, noting his intention to increase trade volume with the UK to USD 30 billion in the first phase, and then to USD 40 billion.
For his part, Prime Minister Starmer said that the UK and Turkiye were today announcing a strategic partnership and the first framework for bilateral cooperation between the two nations.
He affirmed that the Eurofighter Typhoon cooperation agreement would strengthen security within NATO and raise the level of bilateral collaboration in defense industries.
Worth USD 10.74 billion and involving the purchase of 20 Eurofighter Typhoon jets, the agreement enables Turkiye to modernize its air fleet and enhance its combat capabilities, as Ankara seeks to update its military technologies and address regional challenges, particularly amid the accelerating air arms race in the Middle East.
:President of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (UK) Keir Starmer signed){kind=link}