Turkey eyes second-hand Eurofighter jets from Qatar
Turkey is discussing a deal with Qatar to acquire second-hand Eurofighter Typhoon jets, Middle East Eye understands.
Ankara’s rapidly ageing F-16 fleet has pushed it to seek alternative options to fill the gap until its domestically produced fifth-generation Kaan aircraft enters service in the early 2030s.
In July, Turkey signed a preliminary memorandum of understanding to purchase 40 Eurofighter jets from the UK. However, negotiations over pricing and the final terms are still ongoing, as Ankara has deemed the UK's initial offer too expensive. Even if the deal does go through, deliveries could take several years, while Turkey’s need for new aircraft is urgent.
Qatar, by contrast, could provide a faster solution, as it already operates 24 Tranche 3A Eurofighter Typhoons.
Regional sources familiar with the matter told MEE that an agreement between Turkey and Qatar is close, though negotiations are still in progress.
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One Qatari source confirmed that Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler and Air Force commander General Ziya Cemal Kadioglu were in Doha on Tuesday to discuss the potential procurement of the jets.
The Turkish defence ministry separately announced that Guler met with Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on the same day.
Any sale would require approval from the Eurofighter consortium, which includes the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, and France.
The regional sources told MEE that the consortium supports the deal, viewing Turkey as a major potential buyer that could later seek upgrades and additional Tranche 4 jets equipped with advanced radar systems.
The Turkish defence ministry did not issue a statement following Guler’s meeting with Qatari officials. MEE has reached out to the Turkish government for comment.
Turkey’s exclusion from the US F-35 programme in 2019, following its acquisition of Russian-built S-400 air defence systems, has left Ankara facing a looming shortage of modern fighter jets.
While the Turkish Air Force has expressed willingness to acquire any available aircraft - including F-16s, Eurofighters or even F-35s - key figures within Turkey’s defence procurement establishment and domestic defence industry argue that Ankara should be more selective.
Advocates of this view argue that Turkey should focus on modernising its existing F-16 fleet with emerging domestic technologies, rather than investing in costly “stopgap” acquisitions ahead of the Kaan’s entry into service.
A Turkish defence consortium aims to deliver the first Kaan jets by late 2028, though many analysts believe deliveries are more likely to begin around 2030.
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