Turkish F-16s escort British Eurofighter jets during UK PM’s visit PHOTO

Turkish Air Force F-16 fighter jets escorted British Eurofighter aircraft that entered Turkish airspace as part of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit.

In a post on its official X account, the Turkish Ministry of National Defence stated that three Eurofighter jets belonging to the Royal Air Force arrived in Türkiye as part of the official visit, Caliber.Az reports.

Birleşik Krallık Başbakanı Sayın Keir Starmer’in ülkemizi ziyareti dolayısıyla Birleşik Krallık Hava Kuvvetlerine ait 3 adet Eurofighter uçağı da ülkemize geldi.

Eurofighter uçaklarını ülkemiz hava sahasına girişlerinde, Hava Kuvvetlerimize ait F-16’lar karşılayarak Ankara… pic.twitter.com/UNodKSy0Is

— T.C. Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) October 27, 2025

“Upon entering Turkish airspace, the Eurofighter jets were met by Turkish F-16s and escorted to Ankara Mürted Air Base Command,” the statement read.

The visit coincided with a major defence deal between the two countries.

Türkiye has reached an agreement with the United Kingdom to purchase 20 Eurofighter Typhoon jets for nearly $11 billion, as Ankara seeks to bolster its air defences while developing its own fifth-generation KAAN fighter project.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan signed the deal in Ankara on Monday, October 27.

The UK Ministry of Defence described it as “the biggest fighter jet deal in a generation,” while Erdogan hailed it as “a new symbol of the strategic relations between two close allies.”

Starmer said the agreement also strengthens NATO’s southeast flank, highlighting the importance of close cooperation between the two member states.

The first Typhoons are expected to arrive in Türkiye in 2030.

A preliminary deal for 40 aircraft was signed in July and approved by the other Eurofighter consortium members — Germany, Italy, and Spain.

Turkish officials said Ankara ultimately plans to acquire up to 120 fighter jets to reinforce its fleet before the KAAN becomes operational.

As part of its broader strategy to diversify defence partnerships, Türkiye also intends to buy 12 additional Typhoons each from Qatar and Oman to bridge the capability gap with regional rivals.

By Jeyhun Aghazada